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WORLD   WORSHIPS    SERIES 


History  of  Christianty,  in  4 
Volumes.     By  Andrew  Stephenson 

Sex  Worship  and  Symbolism  of 
Primitive  Races.  By  Sanger 
Brown,  IL 

Devil  Worship,  the  Sacred 
Books  and  Traditions  of  the 
Yezidiz.    By  Isya  Joseph. 

ZOROASTRIANISM        AND       JUDAISM. 

By  George  William  Carter. 

Messiahs:  Christian  and  Pagan. 
By  Wilson  D.  Wallis. 

The  Deeper  Aspects  of  Roman 
Emperor-Worship.  By  Louis 
Matthews  Sweet. 


RICHARD  G.  badger.  PUBLISHER.  BOSTON 


THE  SYMBOL  OF  THE  DEVIL 


i     1— I   r--> 


DEVIL   WORSHIP 

THE    SACRED    BOOKS    AND 

TRADITIONS    OF    THE 

YEZIDIZ 


v^ 


BY 


ISYA  JOSEPH,  B.A.,  MA.,  Ph.D. 


BOSTON 

RICHARD    G.    BADGER 

THE  GORHAM  PRESS 


Copyright,  1919,  by  Richard  G.  Badger 
AU  rights  reserved 


The  Gorham  Press,  Boston,  U.  S.  A. 
Made  In  the  United  States  of  America 


TO    MY   TEACHERS   IN    UNION    THEOLOGICAL    SEMINARY, 

COLUMBIA,  AND  HARVARD  UNIVERSITIES,   THIS 

BOOK   IS  INSCRIBED  WITH   GRATITUDE 

AND    ESTEEM 


CONTENTS 

Cliapter  I^age 

Introduction — The  Origin  of  the  Manu- 
script      II 

Notes  on  the  Introduction 22 

PART  I.     THE  TRANSLATION  OF  THE 

ARABIC  TEXT 
Preface,  in  the  Name  of  the  Most  Com- 
passionate God 29 

I.  Al-Jilwah— The  Revelation       .     .  30 

11.  Mashaf  Res— The  Black  Book  .     .  36 

III.  Appendix  to  Part  1 53 

IV.  The  Poem  in  Praise  of  Seih  *Adi      .  70 
V.  The  Principal  Prayer  of  the  Yezidis  73 

VI.  Seven  Classes  of  Yezidis  ....  75 
VII.  The  Articles  of  Faith  .  ...  77 
Notes  on  Part  1 83 

PART  II.    THE  CRITICAL  DISCUSSION 

OF  YEZIDISM 
I.  The  Religious  Origin  of  the  Yezidis      .     89 

I.  The  Yezidi  Myth 89 

11.  The  Christian  Tradition 9^ 

III.  The    Speculative   Theories   of   Western 

Orientalists  103 

IV.  The  Dogmatic  View   of   Mohammedan 

Scholars  and  the  Writer's  Own  Ex- 
planation         118 

Notes  on  Part  1 138 


CONTENTS 

II.  The  Essential  Elements  in  Yezidism   .  145 

I.  The  Yezidi  View  of  God 145 

II.  The  Deity  of  the  Second  Degree      .      .  147 

1.  Melek  Ta'us 147 

2.  Seih  *A*di 158 

3.  Yezid 166 

Notes  on  Chapter  II 167 

III.  Other  Deities  and  Festivals  ....  169 

I.  The  So-Called  Seven  Divinities   .      .      .  169 

II.  The  Day  of  Sarsal  or  New  Year  .      .      .174 
Notes  on  Chapter  III 177 

IV.  Sacraments,  Religious  Observances  /nd 

Sacerdotal  System 178 

I.  Sacraments         178 

II.  Some  Other  Religious  Practices       .      .  180 

III.  The  Sacerdotal  Orders 182 

Notes  on  Chapter  IV 185 

V.  Their  Customs 186 

I.  Marriage 186 

II.  Funerals 192 

III.  NationaHty 194 

IV.  Locality 195 

V.  Dwellings          197 

VI.  The  Language 198 

VII.  Occupation 198 

Notes  on  Chapter  V 200 

VI.  List  of  the  Yezidi  Tribes 201 

The  Tribes  Across  the  River  from  Mosul    .  201 

The  Tribes  at  Sin  jar  and  Jezireh       .      .      .  202 

The  Tribes  of  Midyat  Region       ....  203 

VII.  Persecution 205 

Notes  on  Chapter  VII 210 

Bibliography 213 

Index 219 


DEVIL  WORSHIP 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  ORIGIN  OF  THE  MANUSCRIPT 

The  Arabic  manuscript  here  translated  was  pre- 
sented to  me  before  I  left  Mosul  by  my  friend  Daud 
as-Saig  as  a  memento  of  our  friendship.  Hawaja 
as-Saig  was  a  man  of  culture,  in  sympathy  with 
western  thought,  and  an  intimate  acquaintance  of 
M.  N.  Siouffi,  the  vice-consul  of  the  French  Republic 
in  Mosul.  From  the  first  page  of  the  manuscript  it 
appears  that  through  some  Yezidis  he  had  access  to 
their  literature.  I  know  he  was  in  close  touch  with 
many  of  them,  especially  with  the  family  of  MuUa 
Haidar,  which  is  the  only  Yezidi  family  that  can  read 
and  guard  the  sacred  tradition  of  the  sect. 

The  manuscript  comprises  a  brief  Introduction,  the 
Sacred  Books,  and  an  Appendix.  In  the  first,  the 
compiler  indicates  the  sources  of  his  information  and 
gives  a  sketch  of  the  life  of  §eih  *Adi,  the  chief  saint 
of  the  Yezidis. 

The  Sacred  Books  comprise  Kitdb  al-  Jilwah  (Book 
of  Revelation),  and  Mashaf  Res  (Black  Book) — so 
named  because  in  it  mention  is  made  of  the  descent  of 

11 


12  INTRODUCTION 

the  Lord  upon  the  Black  Mountain  (p.  32). 
Al  Jilwah^  is  ascribed  to  Seih  *Adi  himself,  and  would 
accordingly  date  from  the  twelfth  century  a.  d.  It  is 
divided  into  a  brief  introduction  and  five  short  chap- 
ters. In  each,  *Adi  is  represented  as  the  speaker.  In 
the  Preface  the  Seih  says  that  he  existed  with  Melek 
Ta'us  before  the  creation  of  the  world,  and  that  he 
was  sent  by  his  god  Ta  ias  to  instruct  the  Yezidi  sect  in 
truth.  In  the  first  chapter  he  asserts  his  omnipresence 
and  omnipotence;  in  the  second  he  claims  to  have 
power  to  reward  those  who  obey  him  and  to  punish 
those  who  disobey  him;  in  the  third  he  declares  that 
he  possesses  the  treasures  of  the  earth;  in  the  fourth 
he  warns  his  followers  of  the  doctrines  of  those  that 
are  without;  and  in  the  fifth  he  bids  them  keep  his 
commandments  and  obey  his  servants,  who  will  com- 
municate to  them  his  teachings.  The  Black  Book,^ 
which  perhaps  dates  from  the  thirteenth  century,  is 
larger  than  the  Book  of  Revelation,  but  is  not  divided 
into  chapters.  It  begins  with  the  narrative  of  creation : 
God  finishes  his  work  in  seven  days — Sunday  to  Sat- 
urday. In  each  day  he  creates  an  angel  or  king 
(melek).  Melek  Ta'us,  who  is  created  on  Sunday,  is 
made  chief  of  all.  After  that  Fahr-ad  Din  creates 
the  planets,  man,  and  animals.  Then  follows  a  story 
about  Adam  and  Eve,  their  temptation  and  quarrel; 
the  coming  of  the  chief  angels  to  the  world  to  establish 
the  Yezidi  kingdom;  the  flood;  the  miraculous  birth  of 
Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya ;  and  certain  ordinances  in  regard 
to  food,  the  New  Year,  and  marriages. 


INTRODUCTION  13 

The  Appendix  contains  the  following: 

1.  A  collection  of  materials  concerning  the  Yezidi 
belief  and  practice. 

2.  A  poem  in  praise  of  §eih  'Adi. 

3.  The  principal  prayer  of  the  Yezidis,  in  the 
Kurdish  language. 

4.  A  description  of  the  Yezidi  sacerdotal  system. 

5.  A  petition  to  the  Ottoman  government  to  exempt 
the  sect  from  military  service,  presented  in  the  year 
1872  A.  D. 

An  analysis  of  the  texts  shows  that  the  material  is 
taken  from  different  sources :  part  of  it  is  clearly  de- 
rived from  the  religious  books  of  the  sect;  another 
part  from  a  description  of  the  beliefs  and  customs  of 
the  sect  given  by  a  member  of  it  to  an  outsider;  a 
third,  partly  from  observations  by  an  outsider,  partly 
from  stories  about  Yezidis  current  among  their  Chris- 
tian neighbors.  Unfortunately  the  compiler  does  not 
specify  whence  each  particular  part  of  his  information 
is  obtained.  On  closer  examination  it  is  evident  that 
part,  at  least,  of  the  Arabic  in  hand  is  a  translation 
from  Syriac. 

The  Yezidis,  frequently  called  "Devil-Worshippers," 
are  a  small  and  obscure  religious  sect,  numbering 
about  200,000.^  They  are  scattered  over  a  belt  of  ter- 
ritory three  hundred  miles  wide,  extending  in  length 
from  the  neighborhood  of  Aleppo  in  northern  Syria 
to  the  Caucasus  in  southern  Russia.     The  mass  of 


14  INTRODUCTION 

them,  however,  are  to  be  found  in  the  mountains  of 
northern  and  central  Kurdistan  and  among  the  Sinjar 
Hills  of  Northern  Mesopotamia. 

By  reason  of  their  mysterious  religion,  the  Devil- 
Worshipers  have  been  an  object  of  interest  and  inves- 
tigation for  several  generations.  Our  chief  first-hand 
sources  of  information  in  regard  to  the  manners,  cus- 
toms, and  practices  of  these  people  are:  Sir  Henry 
Layard,  Nineveh  and  its  Remains  (1849),  Nineveh 
and  Babylon  (1853)  ;  G.  P.  Badger,  The  Nestorians 
and  their  Rituals  (1852);  my  honored  teacher,  Rev. 
A.  N.  Andrus,  veteran  missionary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F. 
M.,  resident  in  Mardin,  Mesopotamia,  "The  Yezidis," 
in  the  Encyclopaedia  of  Missions;  P.  Anastase,  "The 
Yezidis,"  in  the  Arabic  periodical,  Al-Mahik,  Vol.  II 
(1899)  f  Professor  A.  V.  Williams  Jackson,  of  Colum- 
bia University,  Persia  Past  and  Present  (1906)  ;  "The 
Yezidis,"  in  the  International  Encyclopaedia,  s.  v.; 
also  in  JAOS,  XXV,  178;  M.  N.  Siouffi,  in  the  Journal 
Asiatique,  1882  (vii®  serie,  T.  20),  p.  252,  and  1885 
(viii®  serie,  T.  5),  p.  78.  Siouffi  was  the  first  to  dis- 
cover and  establish  the  historical  character  of  §eih 
'Adi,  about  whom  the  scholars  had  been  puzzled.  He 
published  an  extract  relating  to  *Adi  from  Ibn  Halli- 
kan's  Wafaiydt  'al-Aydn  (bibliographical  work).  Of 
the  second-hand  sources  of  information  may  be  men- 
tioned Les  Yezidis,  by  J.  Menant  (Paris,  1892),  and 
the  article  by  Victor  Dingelstedt,  "The  Yezidis,"  in 
the  Scottish  Geographical  Magazine,  Vol.  XIV,  pp. 

259  ff-* 


INTRODUCTION  15 

In  addition  to  these  descriptions,  several  manuscripts 
have  come  to  light  of  recent  years  which  give  a  great 
deal  of  information  about  the  beliefs  and  customs  of 
the  Yezidis 

Two  of  these  manuscripts  are  in  the  Bibliotheque 
Nationale,  in  Paris  {Fond  Syriaque,  Nos.  306  and 
325).  A  translation  of  the  Arabic  (Carshuni)  texts  in 
these  manuscripts  relative  to  the  Yezidis  was  published 
by  Professor  E.  H.  Browne  in  an  appendix  to  O.  H. 
Parry,  Six  Months  in  a  Syrian  Monastery,  1895. 
Professor  Browne  at  that  time  proposed  to  edit  the 
Arabic  text  (see  J.-B.  Chabot,  Journal  Asiatique, 
1896,  ix®  serie,  T.  7,  p.  100)  ;  but  so  far  as  I  can  as- 
certain this  intention  has  not  been  carried  out. 

The  manuscript  translated  by  Browne,  which  ac- 
cording to  Parry  {loc.  cit.,  p.  357)  was  written  by  a 
native  of  Mosul,  seems  to  be  closely  related  to  that 
translated  below.  There  are,  however,  some  differ- 
ences in  contents  and  arrangement :  my  copy  is  divided 
into  the  Book  of  Revelation,  the  Black  Book,  and  an 
Appendix;  while  Browne's  embraces  the  Book  of  Re- 
velation which  corresponds  to  that  in  my  manu- 
script), and  two  other  "Accounts,"  the  greater  part 
of  which  is  contained  in  the  Black  Book  of  my  text, 
and  the  rest  in  the  Appendix.  Further,  in  my  manu- 
script Al-Jilwah  immediately  follows  the  Introduction; 
while  in  Browne's  the  discussion  of  the  sacerdotal  sys- 
tem, the  petition  to  the  Ottoman  government,  and 
some  other  matters,  are  inserted  between  the  Intro- 
duction and  Al-Jilwah.     In  Browne's,  moreover,  the 


i6  INTRODUCTION 

Poem  in  Praise  of  §eih  *Adi,  and  the  Principal  Prayer 
(in  Kurdish)  are  absent,  while  the  petition  to  the 
Turkish  government  is  briefer,  and  lacks  articles  iv 
and  xiv.  The  text  of  this  petition,  in  its  original  form, 
was  published  by  Lidzbarski  in  ZDMG,  LI,  592  ff., 
after  a  manuscript  in  Berlin  which  was  procured  from 
Sammas  Eremia  Samir. 

Two  Syriac  texts  have  also  been  printed.  The  first, 
edited  and  translated  by  J.-B.  Chabot  in  the  Journal 
Asiatique,  1896  (ix®  serie,  T.  7),  p.  100  ff.,  from  the 
Paris  manuscripts  referred  to  above,  corresponds,  with 
slight  variations,  to  the  second  ''Account,"  of  Browne 
(Parry,  loc.  cii.,  pp.  380-87). 

The  second  was  published  with  an  Italian  transla- 
tion, by  Samuel  Giamil,  under  the  title,  Monte  Singar; 
Storia  di  un  Popolo  Ignoto  (Rome,  1900),  from  a 
manuscript  copied  for  him  in  1899  from  an  original 
in  the  monastery  of  Rabban  Hormizd.  The  author  of 
this  work,  a  Syrian  priest,  Isaac,  lived  for  a  long 
time  among  the  Yezidis,  and  not  only  had  unusual 
opportunities  of  observation,  but,  as  is  evident  from 
several  anecdotes,  possessed  their  confidence  and  es- 
teem in  a  singular  degree.  His  work  is  in  catechetical 
form:  a  youthful  Yezidi  inquirer  questions  a  teacher 
about  the  beliefs,  traditions,  and  customs  of  his  people, 
and  the  answers  contain  the  fullest  exposition  of  these 
matters  we  at  present  possess.  Occasionally  the  au- 
thor falls  out  of  his  role,  and  lets  it  appear  that  the 
questioner  is  no  other  than  Priest  Isaac  himself. 

The  work  is  divided  into  ten  sections,  which  treat 


INTRODUCTION  17 

respectively  of  the  works  of  God  and  his  abode  (p.3) ; 
the  creation  of  Adam  and  Eve  (p.  8)  ;  the  wonderful 
deeds  of  the  god  Yezid  (p.  16) ;  the  Yezidi  saints 
(p.  2^^  ;  the  New- Year  (p.  32) ;  marriage  customs 
(p.  46)  ;  death  and  burial  (p.  53)  ;  the  pilgrimage  to 
Seih  'Adi's  shrine  (p.  67)  ;  the  festivals  and  assemblies 
at  Seih  'Adi  (p.  80)  ;  and  the  Yezidi  kings  (p.  87). 

Apart  from  the  Kitab  al-Jilwah,  Priest  Isaac's  work 
is  clearly  the  source  from  which  is  derived  most  of 
the  material  in  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  manuscripts  that 
have  hitherto  come  to  light. 

Beside  the  Arabic  manuscript  from  Daud  as-Saig 
which  is  translated  below,  I  have  in  my  possession  two 
others,  which  were  sent  me  by  the  Rev.  A.  N.  Andrus. 
The  first  of  these  written  by  Sammas  Eremia  Samir 
(designated  in  the  notes  hereafter  as  SS),  seems  to 
be  a  duplicate  of  that  from  which  Browne's  translation 
was  made.  They  agree  in  contents  and  arrangement, 
and  in  certain  readings  in  which  they  differ  from  the 
other  texts.  At  the  close  of  SS  the  writer  says  that 
he  compiled  it  (chiefly  from  Al-Jilwah)  for  the  benefit 
of  some  of  his  friends  who  wished  to  acquaint  them- 
selves with  the  Yezidi  religion. 

The  origin  of  the  Yezidi  sect  has  been  the  subject 
of  much  discussion,  but  no  satisfactory  solution  of  the 
problem  has  as  yet  been  reached.  There  are  those 
who  assert  that  the  Yezidis  are  the  remains  of  the 
ancient  Manichaeans ;'  others  entertain  the  view  that 
the  Yezidis  were  originally  Christians,  whom  progres- 
sive  ignorance  has  brought  into  their  present  con- 


i8  INTRODUCTION 

dition^ — some  even  going  so  far  as  to  connect  the 
name  "Yezidi"  with  "J^^us"  V  Some  think  that  the 
Yezidi  sect  takes  its  name  from  the  Persian  word 
yazd,  'god,  or  good  spirit/  over  against  Ahriman,  the 
evil  principle;^  while  others  associate  it  with  Yazd  or 
Yezid,  a  town  in  central  Persia,  the  inhabitants  of 
which  are  chiefly  Parsees.^  Some  finally  maintain  that 
the  sect  was  founded  by  Seih  'Adi.^° 

The  Yezidis  themselves  had  a  curious  legend  con- 
necting the  name  with  the  Caliph  Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya^^ 
(see  p.  37). 

In  a  dissertation  presented  for  the  degree  of  Doc- 
tor of  Philosophy  in  Harvard  University  I  called  at- 
tention to  a  statement  of  as-Sahrastani  the  importance 
of  which  seems  hitherto  not  to  have  been  appreciated, 
but  which  appears  to  me  to  give  the  most  probable  ex- 
planation of  the  name  and  of  the  original  affinities  of 
the  sect.  The  passage  is  as  follows  (Kitdb  al  Milal 
wan-Nihal,  ed.  Cureton,  I,  loi)  : 

The  Yezidis  are  the  followers  of  Yezid  bn  Unaisa, 
who  kept  friendship  with  the  first  Muhakkama,  before 
the  Azarika;  he  separated  himself  from  those  who 
followed  after  them  with  the  exception  of  the 
Abadiyah,^^  for  with  these  he  kept  friendly.  He  be- 
lieved that  God  would  send  an  apostle  from  among  the 
Persians,  and  would  reveal  to  him  a  book  that  is  al- 
ready written  in  heaven,  and  would  reveal  the  whole 
(book)  to  him  at  one  time,^^  and  as  a  result  he  would 
leave  the  religion  of  Mohammed,  the  Chosen  One — 


INTRODUCTION  19 

may  God  bless  and  save  him ! — and  follow  the  religion 
of  the  Sabians  mentioned  in  the  Koran/*  (These  are 
not  the  Sabians  who  are  found  in  Haran  and  Wasit.^^) 
But  Yezid  associated  himself  with  the  people  of  the 
Book  who  recognized  the  Chosen  One  as  a  prophet, 
even  though  they  did  not  accept  his  (Mohammed's) 
religion.  And  he  said  that  the  followers  of  the  ordin- 
ances are  among  those  who  agree  with  him;  but  that 
others  are  hiding  the  truth  and  give  companions  to 
God,  and  that  every  sin,  small  or  great,  is  idolatry/^ 

The  statement  of  As-Sahrastani  is  so  clear  that  it 
can  bear  no  other  interpretation  than  that  the  Yezidis 
were  the  followers  of  Yezid  bn  Unaisa.  He  calls 
them  his  'ashdb,  that  is,  his  followers,  a  term  by  which 
he  designates  the  relation  between  a  sect  and  its 
founder.^^  The  statement  comes  from  the  pen  of  one 
who  is  considered  of  the  highest  authority  among  the 
Arab  scholars  on  questions  relating  to  philosophical 
and  religious  sects.^^  This  precise  definition  of  the 
position  of  Yezid  bn  Unaisa  in  the  sectarian  conflicts 
of  the  first  century  of  Islam  seems  to  show  that  he  had 
exact  information  about  him. 

The  prediction  about  the  Persian  prophet  is  quoted, 
almost  in  the  same  words,  by  another  great  Moham- 
medan authority  on  religious  sects,  Ibn  Hazm,  who 
lived  a  century  before  As-Sahrastani.  (The  Egyptian 
edition  of  Ibn  Hazm,  Vol.  IV,  p.  188,  reads  Zaid  bn 
Abi  Ubaisa;  but*  that  Unaisa  should  be  restored  is  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  Ibn  Hazm  is  at  pains  to  dis- 
tinguish  the  author  of  this  unorthodox  prediction  from 


20  INTRODUCTION 

the  well-known  traditionist  of  the  name — e.  g.,  Tabari, 

I,  135." 

The  prophecy  was  perhaps  preserved  among  the 
leaders  of  the  Abadiya,  with  which  sect  Yezid  bn 
Unaisa  is  associated.  As-Sahrastani's  statement,  the 
significant  part  of  which  we  have  found  also  in  Ibn 
Hazm  was  doubtless  derived  from  an  older  written 
source. 

Who  is  intended  by  the  coming  Persian  prophet — 
if,  indeed,  any  particular  individual  is  meant — it  is  not 
possible  to  determine.  Kremer  ^^  cannot  be  right  in 
identifying  him  with  §eih  *Adi,  for  the  supposed  pre- 
diction was  in  circulation  a  century  or  more  before 
his  time.  He  is  said  to  have  been,  not  a  Persian,  but 
a  Syrian  from  Baalbek  or  elsewhere  in  the  West ;  and 
both  in  Arabic  authors  ^^  and  in  his  own  writings  ^^  he 
appears  as  a  Moslem,  a  Sufi  saint  in  good  standing. 
The  Yezidis  to  this  day  await  the  appearance  of  the 
Persian  prophet. ^^ 

On  the  basis  of  these  scanty  bits  of  fact,  it  appears 
that:  The  Yezidis  were  originally  a  Harijite^*  sub- 
sect,  akin  to  the  Abadiya,  bearing  the  name  of  their 
founder,  Yezid  bn  Unaisa.  Certain  distinctive  Hari- 
jite  peculiarities  seem  indeed  to  have  outlived  among 
them  the  common  faith  of  Islam;  such  as  the  tolerant 
judgment  of  Jews  and  Christians;  the  condemnation 
of  every  sin  as  implicit  idolatry.  In  their  new  seats 
in  Kurdistan,  whither  they  migrated  about  the  end  of 
the  fourteenth  century  ^^  they  were  drawn  into  the 
movement  of  which  §eih  *Adi  was  in  his  life  time  the 


INTRODUCTION  21 

leader  and  after  his  death  the  saint,  and  ended  by 
making  of  him  the  incarnation  of  God  in  the  present 
age.  2®  With  this  they  joined  elements  drawn  from 
Christianity,  ^^  with  here  and  there  a  trace  of  Judaism, 
and  with  large  survivals  of  the  persistent  old  Semitic 
heathenism,  many  of  which  they  share  with  their 
neighbors  of  all  creeds. 

Difficult  problems,  ^^  however,  remain  unsolved,  es- 
pecially the  origin  and  nature  of  the  worship  of  Melek 
Ta'us.  2^  The  certain  thing  is  that  the  actual  religion 
of  the  Yezidis  is  a  syncretism,  to  which  Moslem, 
Christian  (heretical,  rather  than  orthodox),  pagan, 
and  perhaps  also  Persian  religions  have  contributed.®^ 


NOTES  ON  THE  INTRODUCTION 

^  Al-Jilwah  is  said  to  have  been  written  in 
558  A.  H.,  by  Seih  Fahr-ad-Din,  the  secretary  of 
Seih  'Adi,  at  the  dictation  of  the  latter.  The  original 
copy,  wrapped  in  linen  and  silk  wrappings,  is  kept  in 
the  house  of  Mulla  Haidar,  of  Baadrie.  Twice  a  year 
the  book  is  taken  to  Seih  'Adi's  shrine.  (Letter  from 
Gammas  Jeremia  Samir  to  Mr.  A.  N.  Andrus,  of 
Mardin,  dated  October  28,  1892.) 

^  The  Black  Book  is  said  to  have  been  written  by 
a  certain  Hasan  al-Basri,  in  743  A.  H.  The  original 
copy  is  kept  in  the  house  of  Kehyah  (chief)  *AH,  of 
Kasr  *Az-ad-Din,  one  hour  west  of  Semale,  a  village 
east  of  Tigris.  The  book  rests  upon  a  throne,  having 
over  it  a  thin  covering  of  red  broadcloth,  of  linen,  and 
other  wrappings.  Then  is  disclosed  the  binding,  which 
is  of  wood. 

^  The  exact  number  of  the  Yezidis  is  unknown 
See  also  Societe  de  Geographic  de  I'Est,  Bulletin,  1903, 
p.  284;  Al  Masrik,  II,  834. 

*  For  a  fuller  account  of  the  literature  on  the 
Yezidis,  consult  J.  Menant,  Les  Yezidis,  and  Paul 
Perdrizet,  Societe  de  Geographic  de  I'Est,  Bulletin, 
1903,  pp.  281  f¥. 

^  Societe  de  Geographic  de  I'Est,  Bulletin,  1903, 
p.  297. 

®  Eraser,  Mesopotamia  and  Persia,  pp.  285,  287 ; 
Rich,  Residence  in  Kurdistan,  II,  69;  Al  Masrik,  II, 
396;  Badger,  The  Nestorians  and  their  Rituals,  I,  11 1 ; 
Assemani,  Bibliotheca  Orientalis,  III,  439. 

22 


SACRED  BOOKS   OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      23 

^  Michel  Febvre,  Theatre  de  la  Turquie,  p.  364 ; 
Societe  de  Geographie  de  I'Est,  Bulletin,  1903,  pp.  299, 
301 ;  cf.  also  J.  Menant,  Les  Yezidis,  pp.  52,  86,  132. 

*  Oppenheim,  Vom  Mittelmeer  sum  persischen 
Golf,  1900,  II,  148;  Victor  Dingelstedt,  Scottish  Geo- 
graphical Magazine,  XIV,  295 ;  Southgate,  A  Tour 
through  Armenia,  II,  317;  A.  V.  Williams  Jackson, 
"Yezidis,"  in  the  New  International  Encyclopedia, 
XVII,  939;  Perdrizet,  loc.  cit.,  p.  299. 

^A.  V.  Williams  Jackson,  Persia  Past  and  Present, 
p.  10,  New  International  Encyclopedia,  "Yezidis;" 
Perdrizet,  loc.  cit. 

^^  Dingelstedt,  loc.  cit. ;  Revue  de  VOrient  Chretien, 

I,  "Kurdistan." 

^^  Societe  de  Geographie  de  I'Est,  loc.  cit. ;  En- 
cyclopedia of  Missions,  "Yezidis";  A.  V.  Williams 
Jackson,  loc.  cit. 

"  On  these  sects  consult  As-§ahrastani,  I,  86,  89, 
100. 

^^  Not  like  Mohammed,  to  whom,  according  to 
Moslem  belief,  the  Koran  was  revealed  at  intervals. 

^*  On  the  Sabians  of  the  Koran,  see  Baidawi  and 
Zamahsari  on  Suras  2,  59;  5,  73;  22,  17. 

^^o"n  the  Sabians  of  Harran,  see  Fihrist,  p.  190; 
on  the  Sabians  in  general  consult  As-§ahrastani,  II, 
203;  on  the  location  of  Harran  and  Wasit,  see  Yakut, 

II,  331,  and  IV,  881. 

^®  To  get  more  particular  information  in  regard  to 
Yezid  bn  Unaisa,  I  wrote  to  Mosul,  Bagdad,  and  Cairo, 
the  three  centers  of  Mohammedan  learning,  and 
strange  to  say,  none  could  throw  any  light  on  the 
subject. 

1^  Al-Haratiyah  he  describes  as  A^hdh  Al- 
Haret  (I,  loi),  al-Hafaziyah,  Ashab  Hafez   (ibid.), 

etc. 


24  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

^^  Ibn  Hallikan  says :  "As-Sahrastani,  a  dogmatic 
theologian  of  the  Asarite  sect,  was  distinguished  as  an 
Imam  and  a  doctor  of  the  law.  He  displayed  the  high- 
est abilities  as  a  jurisconsult.  The  Kitdb  al-Milal  wa- 
n-Nihal  (this  is  the  book  in  which  As-§ahrastani  traces 
the  Yezidi  sect  to  Yezid  bn  Unaisa)  is  one  of  his  works 
on  scholastic  theology.  He  remained  without  an  equal 
in  that  branch  of  science." 

^^  It  is  to  be  noticed  also  that  the  name  "Unaisa" 
is  very  common  among  the  Arabs;  cf.  Ibn  Sa'ad  (ed. 
Sachau),  III,  254,  260,  264,  265,  281,  283,  287,  289; 
Musnad,  VI,  434;  Mishkat,  22,  y2^. 

-°  Geschichte  der   herrschenden  Ideen   des  I  slams, 

P-  195- 

21  Ibn   Hallikan    (Egyptian   edit.,  A.   H.    1310),   I, 

316;  Mohammed  al-*Omari,  al-Mausili,  "Seih  'Adi," 

quoted  by  M.  N.  Siouffi,  Journal  astatique,  1885,  80; 

Yakut,  IV,  374. 

22'Itikad  Ahl  as-Sunna,  "Belief  of  the  Sunnites," 
the  Wasaya,  "Counsels  to  the  Califs";  cf.  C.  Huart, 
History' of  Arabic  Literature,  p.  273. 

2^  See  p.  61  of  this  book. 

-*  As-Sahrastani  regards  them  a  Harijite  sub-sect. 

2^  Layard,  Nineveh  and  its  Remains,  II,  254. 

2®  Mohamm^ed  al-'Omari  al-Mausili  and  Yasfn  al- 
Hatib  al-'Omari  al-Mausili,  "§eih  'Adi,"  quoted  by 
M.  N.  Siouffi,  Journal  asiatique,  Serie  viii,  V  (1885), 
80. 

2^  George  Warda,  Bishop  of  Arbila,  Poems,  edited 
by  Heinrich  Hilgenfeld,  Leipzig,  1904. 

2^  Such  as  their  ceremonies  at  §eih  'Adi  (Badger, 
The  Nestorians,  I,  117),  which  have  obtained  for  them 
the  name  Cherag  Sonderan,  "The  Extinguishers  of 
Light."  Bar  Hebraeus  {Chronic  on  Eccles.,  ed. 
Abeloos-Lamy,  I,  219)   speaks   of    similar   practices 


SACRED  BOOK  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       25 

among  what  he  calls  "Borborians,"  a  branch  of  the 
Manichaeans,  and  calls  them  "The  Extinguishers  of 
Light."  This  name  is  applied  to  other  eastern  sects 
also;  see  Abhandlungen  fur  die  Kunde  des  Morgen- 
landes,  V,  124. 

^^  Professor  Jackson,  of  Columbia  University, 
seems  to  trace  it  to  the  "old  devil-worship  in  Mazan- 
deran"  (JAOS,  XXV,  178).  But  it  is  not  certain  that 
the  Yezidis  believe  in  Melek  Ta'us  as  an  evil  spirit. 
In  the  history  of  religion  the  god  of  one  people  is  the 
devil  of  another.  Asura  is  a  deity  in  the  Rig  Veda  and 
an  evil  spirit  only  in  later  Brahman  theology.  In  Islam 
the  gods  of  heathenism  are  degraded  into  jinns,  just 
as  the  gods  of  North  Semitic  heathenism  are  called 
se'irim  (hairy  demons)  in  Lev.  177;  or  as  the  gods 
of  Greece  and  Rome  became  devils  to  early  Christians. 
See  W.  R.  Smith,  Religion  of  the  Semites,  p.  120; 
Fihrist,  pp.  322,  326. 

Professor  M.  Lidzbarski  (ZDMG,  LI,  592),  on  the 
other  hand,  aigues  that  Ta'us  is  the  god  Tammuz.  His 
contention  is  based  on  the  assumption  that  the  word 
Ta'us  must  embody  the  ancient  god;  that  in  Fihrist, 
322,  the  god  Tauz  has  a  feast  on  the  15th  of  Tammuz 
(July)  ;  that  in  Kurdish,  the  language  of  the  Yezidis, 
m  is  frequently  changed  to  w.  This  theory  also  is 
untenable,  for  one  might  guess  at  any  ancient  god. 
The  exact  form  of  the  name  "Tauz"  is  uncertain  (see 
Chwolsohn,  Die  Ssahier,  II,  202;  the  statement  that 
in  Kurdish  m  is  frequently  changed  to  w  is  not  true, 
if  one  would  set  it  up  as  a  grammatical  rule  to  explain 
such  phenomena;  the  Kurdish-speaking  people  never 
pronounce  Tammuz,  "Tauz;"  and,  finally,  in  the 
Yezidi  conception  of  Melek  Ta'us  there  are  no  traces 
of  the  notion  held  respecting  Tammuz. 


26  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

^°  Such  a  state  of  affairs  finds  a  historical  parallel 
in  other  religions.  Take,  for  example,  Christianity. 
In  it  we  find  that  the  distinctive  characteristics  of  the 
founder  have  been  wrapped  up  in  many  foreign  ele- 
ments brought  in  by  those  who  came  from  other 
religions. 


PART  I 
THE  TRANSLATION  OF  THE  ARABIC  TEXT 


PREFACE 

In  the  Name  of  the  Most  Compassionate  God! 

With  the  help  of  the  Most  High  God,  and  under  his 
direction,  we  write  the  history  of  the  Yezidis,  their 
doctrines,  and  the  mysteries  of  their  reHgion,  as  con- 
tained in  their  books,  which  reached  our  hand  with 
their  own  knowledge  and  consent. 

In  the  time  of  Al-Muktadir  Billah,  A.  H.  295,  there 
lived  Mansur-al-Hallaj,2  the  woU-carder,  and  §eih 
'Abd-al-Kadir  of  jilan.^  At  that  time,  too,  there  ap- 
peared a  man  by  the  name  of  Seih  *Adi,  from  the 
mountain  of  Hakkari,*  originally  from  the  region  of 
Aleppo  or  Baalbek.  He  came  and  dwelt  in  Mount 
Lalis,'^  near  the  city  of  Mosul,  about  nine  hours  dis- 
tant from  it.  Some  say  he  was  of  the  people  of 
Harran,  and  related  to  Marwan  ibn-al-Hakam.  His 
full  name  is  Saraf  ad-Din  Abu-1-Fadiil,  'Adi  bn 
Musafir  bn  Ismael  bn  Mousa  bn  Marwan  bn  Al-Hasan 
bn  Marwan.  He  died  A.  H.  558  (A.  D.  1162-63).  His 
tomb  is  still  visited;  it  is  near  Ba'adrei,  one  of  the 
villages  of  Mosul,  distant  eleven  hours.  The  Yezidis 
are  the  progeny  of  those  who  were  the  murids  (dis- 
ciples)  of  ieih  *Adi.      Some    trace    their    origin    to 

Yezid,®  others  to  Hasan-Al-Basri. 
'  •  • 

29 


AL-JILWAH    (THE  REVELATION) 

Before  all  creation  this  revelation  was  with  Melek 
Ta'us,  who  sent  'Abd  Ta'us  to  this  world  that  he 
might  separate  truth  known  to  his  particular  people. 
This  was  done,  first  of  all,  by  means  of  oral  tradition, 
and  afterward  by  means  of  this  book,  Al-Jilwah, 
which  the  outsiders  may  neither  read  nor  behold. 


30 


CHAPTER  I 

I  was,  am  now,  and  shall  have  no  end.  I  exercise 
dominion  over  all  creatures  and  over  the  affairs  of 
all  who  are  under  the  protection  of  my  image.  I  am 
ever  present  to  help  all  who  trust  in  me  and  call  upon 
me  in  time  of  need.  There  is  no  place  in  the  universe 
that  knows  not  my  presence.  I  participate  in  all  the 
affairs  which  those  who  are  without  call  evil  because 
their  nature  is  not  such  as  they  approve.  Every  age 
has  its  own  manager,  who  directs  affairs  according  to 
my  decrees.  This  office  is  changeable  from  generation 
to  generation,  that  the  ruler  of  this  world  and  his 
chiefs  may  discharge  the  duties  of  their  respective 
offices  every  one  in  his  own  turn.  I  allow  everyone 
to  follow  the  dictates  of  his  own  nature,  but  he  that 
opposes  me  will  regret  it  sorely.  No  god  has  a  right 
to  interfere  in  my  affairs,  and  I  have  made  it  an 
imperative  rule  that  everyone  shall  refrain  from  wor- 
shiping all  gods.  All  the  books  of  those  who  are 
without  are  altered  by  them;  and  they  have  declined 
from  them,  although  they  were  written  by  the  prophets 
and  the  apostles.  That  there  are  interpolations  is 
seen  in  the  fact  that  each  sect  endeavors  to  prove  that 
the  others  are  wrong  and  to  destroy  their  books.  To 
me  truth  and  falsehood  are  known.    When  temptation 


32  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

comes,  I  give  my  covenant  to  him  that  trusts  in  me. 
Moreover,  I  give  counsel  to  the  skilled  directors,  for 
I  have  appointed  them  for  periods  that  are  known  to 
me.  I  remember  necessary  affairs  and  execute  them 
in  due  time.  I  teach  and  guide  those  who  follow  my 
instruction.  If  anyone  obey  me  and  conform  to  my 
commandments,  he  shall  have  joy,  delight,  and 
goodness. 


CHAPTER  II 

I  requite  the  descendants  of  Adam,  and  reward 
them  with  various  rewards  that  I  alone  know.  More- 
over, power  and  dominion  over  all  that  is  on  earth, 
both  that  which  is  above  and  that  which  is  beneath, 
are  in  my  hand.  I  do  not  allow  friendly  association 
with  other  people,  nor  do  I  deprive  them  that  are  my 
own  and  that  obey  me  of  anything  that  is  good  for 
them.  I  place  my  affairs  in  the  hands  of  those  whom 
I  have  tried  and  who  are  in  accord  with  my  desires. 
I  appear  in  divers  manners  to  those  who  are  faithful 
and  under  my  command.  I  give  and  take  away;  I 
enrich  and  impoverish;  I  cause  both  happiness  and 
misery.  I  do  all  this  in  keeping  with  the  characteris- 
tics of  each  epoch.  And  none  has  a  right  to  interfere 
with  my  management  of  affairs.  Those  who  oppose 
me  I  afflict  with  disease ;  but  my  own  shall  not  die  like 
the  sons  of  Adam  that  are  without.  None  shall  live  in 
this  world  longer  than  the  time  set  by  me ;  and  if  I  so 
desire,  I  send  a  person  a  second  or  a  third  time  into 
this  world  or  into  some  other  by  the  transmigration 
of  souls. 


CHAPTER  III 

I  lead  to  the  straight  path  without  a  revealed  book; 
I  direct  aright  my  beloved  and  my  chosen  ones  by  un- 
seen means.  All  my  teachings  are  easily  applicable  to 
all  times  and  all  conditions.  I  punish  in  another  world 
all  who  do  contrary  to  my  will.  Now  the  sons  of 
Adam  do  not  know  the  state  of  things  that  is  to  come. 
For  this  reason  they  fall  into  many  errors.  The 
beasts  of  the  earth,  the  birds  of  heaven,  and  the  fish 
of  the  sea  are  all  under  the  control  of  my  hands.  All 
treasures  and  hidden  things  are  known  to  me;  and 
as  I  desire,  I  take  them  from  one  and  bestow  them 
upon  another.  I  reveal  my  wonders  to  those  who  seek 
them,  and  in  due  time  my  miracles  to  those  who  receive 
them  from  me.  But  those  who  are  without  are  my 
adversaries,  hence  they  oppose  me.  Nor  do  they  know 
that  such  a  course  is  against  their  own  interests,  for 
might,  wealth,  and  riches  are  in  my  hand,  and  I  be- 
stow them  upon  every  worthy  descendant  of  Adam. 
Thus  the  government  of  the  worlds,  the  transition  of 
generations,  and  the  changes  of  their  directors  are 
determined  by  me  from  the  beginning. 


34 


CHAPTER  IV 

I  will  not  give  my  rights  to  other  gods.  I  have  al- 
lowed the  creation  of  four  substances,  four  times,  and 
four  comers;  because  they  are  necessary  things  for 
creatures.  The  books  of  Jews,  Christians,  and  Mos- 
lems, as  of  those  who  are  without,  accept  in  a  sense, 
i.  e.,  so  far  as  they  agree  with,  and  conform  to,  my 
statutes.  Whatsoever  is  contrary  to  these  they  have 
altered;  do  not  accept  it.  Three  things  are  against 
me,  and  I  hate  three  things.  But  those  who  keep  my 
secrets  shall  receive  the  fulfilment  of  my  promises. 
Those  who  suffer  for  my  sake  I  will  surely  reward  in 
one  of  the  worlds.  It  is  my  desire  that  all  my  follow- 
ers shall  unite  in  a  bond  of  unity,  lest  those  who  are 
without  prevail  against  them.  Now,  then,  all  ye  who 
have  followed  my  commandments  and  my  teachings, 
reject  all  the  teachings  and  sayings  of  such  as  are  with- 
out. I  have  not  taught  these  teachings,  nor  do  they 
proceed  from  me.  Do  not  mention  my  name  nor  my 
attributes,  lest  ye  regret  it;  for  ye  do  not  know  what 
those  who  are  without  may  do. 


85 


CHAPTER   V 

O  ye  that  have  believed  in  me,  honor  my  symbol 
and  my  image,  for  they  remind  you  of  me.  Observe 
my  laws  and  statutes.  Obey  my  servants  and  listen 
to  whatever  they  may  dictate  to  you  of  the  hidden 
things.  Receive  that  that  is  dictated,  and  do  not  carry 
it  before  those  who  are  without,  Jews,  Christians,  Mos- 
lems, and  others ;  for  they  know  not  the  nature  of  my 
teaching.  Do  not  give  them  your  books,  lest  they  alter 
them  without  your  knowledge.  Learn  by  heart  the 
greater  part  of  them,  lest  they  be  altered. 

Thus  endeth  the  book  of  Al-Jilwah,  which  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  book  of  Mashaf  Res,  i.  e.,  the  Black 
Book. 

Mashaf  Res  (The  Black  Book) 

In  the  beginning  God  created  the  White  Pearl  out 
of  his  most  precious  essence.  He  also  created  a  bird 
named  Angar.  He  placed  the  White  Pearl  on  the  back 
of  the  bird,  and  dwelt  on  it  for  forty  thousand  years. 
On  the  first  day,  Sunday,  God  created  Melek  Anzazil, 
and  he  is  Ta'us-Melek,  the  chief  of  all.  On  Monday 
he  created  Melek  Dardael,  and  he  is  §eih  Hasan. 
Tuesday    he    created    Melek    Israfel,  and  he  is  Seih 


86 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       37 

Sams  (ad-Din).  Wednesday  he  created  Melek  Mihael, 
and  he  is  Seih  Abu  Bakr.  Thursday  he  created  Melek 
Azrael,  and  he  is  Sajad-ad-Din.  Friday  he  created 
Melek  Semnael,  and  he  is  Nasir-ad-Din.  Saturday  he 
created  Melek  Nurael,  and  he  is  Yadin  (Fahr-ad- 
Din).     And  he  made  Melek  Taus  ruler  over  all.^ 

After  this  God  made  the  form  of  the  seven  heavens, 
the  earth,  the  sun,  and  the  moon.  But  Fahr-ad-Din 
created  man  and  the  animals,  and  birds  and  beasts. 
He  put  them  all  in  pockets  of  cloth,  and  came  out  of 
the  Pearl  accompanied  by  the  Angels.  Then  he  shouted 
at  the  Pearl  with  a  loud  voice.  Thereupon  the  White 
Pearl  broke  up  into  four  pieces,  and  from  its  midst 
came  out  the  water  which  became  an  ocean.  The 
world  was  round,  and  was  not  divided.  Then  he 
created  Gabriel  and  the  image  of  the  bird.  He  sent 
Gabriel  to  set  the  four  corners.  He  also  made  a  ves- 
sel and  descended  in  it  for  thirty  thousand  years. 
After  this  he  came  and  dwelt  in  Mount  Lalis.  Then 
he  cried  out  at  the  world,  and  the  sea  became  solidified 
and  the  land  appeared,  but  it  began  to  shake.  At  this 
time  he  commaned  Gabriel  to  bring  two  pieces  of  the 
White  Pearl;  one  he  placed  beneath  the  earth,  the 
other  stayed  at  the  gate  of  heaven.  He  then  placed  in 
them  the  sun  and  the  moon;  and  from  the  scattered 
pieces  of  the  White  Pearl  he  created  the  stars  which 
he  hung  in  heaven  as  ornaments.  He  also  created 
fruit-bearing  trees  and  plants  and  mountains  for  orna- 
ments to  the  earth.  He  created  the  throne  over  the 
carpet.®    Then  the  Great  God  said :  "O  Angels,  I  will 


38  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

create  Adam  and  Eve ;  and  from  the  essence  of  Adam 
shall  proceed  Sehar  bn  Jebr,  and  of  him  a  separate 
community  shall  appear  upon  the  earth,  that  of  Azazil, 
i.  e.,  that  of  Melek  Ta'us,  which  is  the  sect  of  the 
Yezidis.  Then  he  sent  Seih  *Adi  bn  Musafir  from  the 
land  of  Syria,  and  he  came  (and  dwelt  in  Mount) 
Lalis.  Then  the  Lord  came  down  to  the  Black  Mount- 
ain. Shouting,  he  created  thirty  thousand  Meleks,  and 
divided  them  into  three  divisions.  They  worshiped 
him  for  forty  thousand  years,  when  he  delivered  them 
to  Melek  Ta'us  who  wen^  up  with  them  to  heaven. 
At  this  time  the  Lord  came  down  to  the  Holy  Land 
(al-Kuds),  and  commanded  Gabriel  to  bring  earth 
from  the  four  corners  of  the  world,  earth,  air,  fire, 
and  water.  He  created  it  and  put  in  it  the  spirit  of 
his  own  power,  and  called  it  Adam. 

Then  he  commanded  Gabriel  to  escort  Adam  into 
Paradise,  and  to  tell  him  that  he  could  eat  from  all 
the  trees  but  not  of  wheat.^°  Here  Adam  remained 
for  a  hundred  years.  Thereupon,  Melek  Ta'us  asked 
God  how  Adam  could  multiply  and  have  descendants 
if  he  were  forbidden  to  eat  of  the  grain.  God  an- 
swered, *T  have  put  the  whole  matter  into  thy  hands." 
Thereupon  Melek  Ta'us  visited  Adam  and  said  "Have 
you  eaten  of  the  grain?"  He  answered,  "No,  God 
forbade  me."  Melek  Ta'us  replied  and  said,  "Eat  of 
the  grain  and  all  shall  go  better  with  thee."  Then 
Adam  ate  of  the  grain  and  immediately  his  belly  was 
inflated.  But  Melek  Ta'us  drove  him  out  of  the  gar- 
den, and  leaving  him,  ascended  into  heaven.     Now 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       39 

Adam  was  troubled  because  his  belly  was  inflated,  for 
he  had  no  outlet.  God  therefore  sent  a  bird  to  him 
which  pecked  at  his  anus  and  made  an  outlet,  and 
Adam  was  relieved. 

Now  Gabriel  was  away  from  Adam  for  a  hundred 
years.  And  Adam  was  sad  and  weeping.  Then  God 
commanded  Gabriel  to  create  Eve  from  under  the  left 
shoulder  of  Adam.  Now  it  came  to  pass,  after  the 
creation  of  Eve  and  of  all  the  animals,  that  Adam  and 
Eve  quarreled  over  the  question  whether  the  human 
race  should  be  descended  from  him  or  her,  for  each 
wished  to  be  the  sole  begetter  of  the  race.  This  quar- 
rel originated  in  their  observation  of  the  fact  that 
among  animals  both  the  male  and  the  female  were 
factors  in  the  production  of  their  respective  species. 
After  a  long  discussion  Adam  and  Eve  agreed  on  this : 
each  should  cast  his  seed  into  a  jar,  close  it,  and  seal 
it  with  his  own  seal,  and  wait  for  nine  months.  When 
they  opened  the  jars  at  the  completion  of  this  period, 
they  found  in  Adam's  jar  two  children,  male  and  fe- 
male. Now  from  these  two  our  sect,  the  Yezidis,  are 
descended.  In  Eve's  jar  they  found  naught  but  rotten 
worms  emitting  a  foul  odor.  And  God  caused  nipples 
to  grow  for  Adam  that  he  might  suckle  the  children 
that  proceeded  from  his  jar.  This  is  the  reason  why 
man  has  nipples. 

After  this  Adam  knew  Eve,  and  she  bore  two  chil- 
dren, male  and  female;  and  from  these  the  Jews,  the 
Christians,  the  Moslems,  and  other  nations  and  sects 
are  descended.    But  our  first  fathers  are  §eth,  Noah, 


40  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

and  Enosh,  the  righteous  ones,  who  were  descended 
from  Adam  only. 

It  came  to  pass  that  trouble  arose  between  a  man  and 
his  wife,  resulting  from  the  denial  on  the  part  of  the 
woman  that  the  man  was  her  husband.  The  man 
persisted  in  his  claim  that  she  was  his  wife.  The 
trouble  between  the  two  was  settled,  however,  through 
one  of  the  righteous  men  of  our  sect,  who  decreed 
that  at  every  wedding  a  drum  and  a  pipe  should  be 
played  as  a  testimony  to  the  fact  that  such  a  man  and 
such  a  woman  were  married  legally. 

Then  Melek  Ta'us  came  down  to  earth  for  our  sect 
(i.  e.,  the  Yezidis),  the  created  ones,  and  appointed 
kings  for  us,  besides  the  kings  of  ancient  Assyria, 
Nisroch,  who  is  Nasir-ad-Din ;  Kamush,  who  is  Melek 
Fahr-ad-Din,  and  Artamis,  who  is  Melek  Sams- (ad-) 
Din.  After  this  we  had  two  kings,  Sabur  (Sapor) 
First  {22^-2y2  A.  D.)  and  Second  (309-379),  who 
reigned  one  hundred  and  fifty  years ;  and  our  amirs 
down  to  the  present  day  have  been  descended  from 
their  seed.     But  we  hated  four  kings. 

Before  Christ  came  into  this  world  our  religion  was 
paganism.  King  Ahab  was  from  among  us.  And  the 
god  of  Ahab  was  called  Beelzebub.  Nowadays  we  call 
him  Pir  Bub.  We  had  a  king  in  Babylon,  whose  name 
was  Bahtnasar;  another  in  Persia,  whose  name  was 
Ahsuras;  and  still  another  in  Constantinople,  whose 
name  was  Agrikalus.  The  Jews,  the  Christians,  the 
Moslems,  and  even  the  Persians,  fought  us;  but  they 
failed  to  subdue  us,  for  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        41 

we  prevailed  against  them.  He  teaches  us  the  first 
and  last  science.     And  one  of  his  teachings  is : 

Before  heaven  and  earth  existed,  God  was  on  the 
sea,  as  we  formerly  wrote  you.  He  made  himself  a 
vessel  and  traveled  in  it  in  kunsiniyat  ^^  of  the  seas, 
thus  enjoying  himself  in  himself.  He  then  created  the 
White  Pearl  and  ruled  over  it  for  forty  years.  After- 
ward, growing  angry  at  the  Pearl,  he  kicked  it ;  and  it 
was  a  great  surprise  to  see  the  mountains  formed  out 
of  its  cry;  the  hills  out  of  its  wonders;  the  heavens 
out  of  its  smoke.  Then  God  ascended  to  heaven,  solid- 
ified it,  established  it  without  pillars.  He  then  spat 
upon  the  ground,  and  taking  a  pen  in  hand,  began  to 
write  a  narrative  of  all  the  creation. 

In  the  beginning  he  created  six  gods  from  himself 
and  from  his  light,  and  their  creation  was  as  one  lights 
a  light  from  another  light.  And  God  said,  "Now  I 
have  created  the  heavens ;  let  some  one  of  you  go  up 
and  create  something  therein."  Thereupon  the  second 
god  ascended  and  created  the  sun ;  the  third,  the  moon ; 
the  fourth,  the  vault  of  heaven;  the  fifth,  the  farg 
(i.  e.,  the  morning  star);  the  sixth,  paradise;  the 
seventh,  hell.  We  have  already  told  you  that  after  this 
they  created  Adam  and  Eve. 

And  know  that  besides  the  flood  of  Noah,  there  was 
another  flood  in  this  world.  Now  our  sect,  the  Yezidis, 
are  descended  from  Na'umi,  an  honored  person,  king 
of  peace.  We  call  him  Melek  Miran.  The  other  sects 
are  descended  from  Ham,  who  despised  his  father. 
The  ship  rested  at  a  village  called  'Ain  Sifni,"  distant 


42  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

from  Mosul  about  five  parasangs.  The  cause  of  the 
first  flood  was  the  mockery  of  those  who  were  with- 
out, Jews,  Christians,  Moslems,  and  others  descended 
from  Adam  and  Eve.  We,  on  the  other  hand,  are 
descended  f  rom^  Adam  only,  as  already  indicated.  This 
second  flood  came  upon  our  sect,  the  Yezidis.  As  the 
water  rose  and  the  ship  floated,  it  came  above  Mount 
Sin  jar,"  where  it  ran  aground  and  was  piefced  by  a 
rock.  The  serpent  twisted  itself  like  a  cake  and 
stopped  the  hole.  Then  the  ship  moved  on  and  rested 
on  Mount  Judie. 

Now  the  species  of  the  serpent  increased,  and  began 
to  bite   man   and  animal.     It  was  finally  caught  and 
burned,  and  from  its  ashes  fleas  were  created.    From 
the  time  of  the  flood  until  now   are   seven   thousand 
years.    In  every  thousand  years  one  of  the  seven  gods 
descends  to  establish  rules,  statutes,  and  laws,  after 
which  he  returns  to  his  abode.     While  below,  he  so- 
journs with  us,  for  we  have  every  kind  of  holy  places. 
This  last  time  the  god  dwelt  among  us  longer  than  any 
of  the  other  gods  who  came  before  him.    He  confirmed 
the  saints.     He  spoke  in  the  Kurdish  language.     He 
also  illuminated  Mohammed,  the  prophet  of  the  Ish- 
maelites,  who  had  a  servant  named  Mu'awiya.    When 
God  saw  that  Mohammed  was  not  upright  before  him, 
he  afflicted  him  with  a  headache.     The  prophet  then 
asked    his    servant  to  shave  his  head,  for  Mu'awiya 
knew  how  to  shave.     He  shaved  his  master  in  haste, 
and  with  some  difficulty.    As  a  result,  he  cut  his  head 
and  made  it  bleed.    Fearing  that  the  blood  might  drop 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        43 

to    the    ground,    Mu'awiya  licked  it  with  his  tongue. 
Whereupon  Mohammed  asked,  "What  are  you  doing, 
Mu'awiya?"    He  repUed,  "I  licked  thy  blood  with  my 
tongue,  for  I  feared  that  it  might  drop  to  the  ground." 
Then  Mohammed  said  to  him,  **You  have  sinned,  O 
Mu'awiya,  you  shall  draw  a  nation  after  you.     You 
shall  oppose  my  sect."    Mu'awiya  answered  and  said, 
"Then  I  will  not  enter  the  world;  I  will  not  marry." 
It  came  to  pass  that  after  some  time  God  sent  scor- 
pions upon  Mu'awiya,  which  bit  him,  causing  his  face 
to  break  out  with  poison.     Physicians  urged  him  to 
marry  lest  he  die.    Hearing  this,  he  consented.    They 
brought  him  an  old  woman,  eighty  years  of  age,  in 
order  that  no  child  might  be  born.     Mu'awiya  knew 
his  wife,  and  in  the  morning  she  appeared  a  woman 
of  twenty-five,  by  the  power  of  the  great  God.    And 
she  conceived  and  bore  our  god  Yezid.     But  the  for- 
eign sects,  ignorant  of  this  fact,  say  that  our  god  came 
from  heaven,  dispised  and  driven  out  by  the  great 
God.     For  this  reason  they  blaspheme  himi.     In  this 
they  have  erred.    But  we,  the  Yezidi  sect,  believe  this 
not,  for  we  know  that  he  is  one  of  the  above-mentioned 
seven  gods.    We  know  the  form  of  his  person  and  his 
image.     It  is  the  form  of  a  cock  which  we  possess. 
None  of  us  is  allowed  to  utter  his  name,  nor  anything 
that    resembles    it,    such    as    Seitdn    (Satan),    kaitdn 
(cord),  lar  (evil),  sat  (river),  and  the  like.    Nor  do 
we  pronounce  maVun  (accursed),  or  la'anat  (curse), 
or  na'al'^*  (horseshoe),  or  any  word  that  has  a  sim- 
ilar sound.    All  these  are  forbidden  us  out  of  respect 


44  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

for  him.  So  hass  (lettuce)  is  debarred.  We  do  not 
eat  it,  for  it  sounds  like  the  name  of  our  prophetess 
Hassiah.  Fish  is  prohibited,  in  honor  of  Jonah  the 
prophet.  Likewise  deer,  for  deer  are  the  sheep  of  one 
of  our  prophets.  The  peacock  is  forbidden  to  our 
Seih  and  his  disciples,  for  the  sake  of  our  Ta'us. 
Squash  also  is  debarred.  It  is  forbidden  to  pass  water 
while  standing,  or  to  dress  up  while  sitting  down,  or 
to  go  to  the  toilet  room,  or  to  take  a  bath  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  people.^'^  Whosoever  does  contrary 
to  this  is  an  infidel.  Now  the  other  sects,  Jews,  Chris- 
tians, Moslems,  and  others,  know  not  these  things,  be- 
cause they  dislike  Melek  Ta'us.  He,  therefore,  does 
not  teach  them,  nor  does  he  visit  them.  But  he  dwelt 
among  us;  he  delivered  to  us  the  doctrines,  the  rules, 
and  the  traditions,  all  of  which  have  become  an  in- 
heritance, handed  down  from  father  to  son.  After 
this,  Melek  Ta'us  returned  to  heaven. 

One  of  the  seven  gods  made  the  sanjaks^^  (stand- 
ards) and  gave  them  to  Solomon  the  wise.  After  his 
death  our  kings  received  them.  And  when  our  god, 
the  barbarian  Yezid,  was  born,  he  received  these 
sanjaks  with  great  reverence,  and  bestowed  them  upon 
our  sect.  Moreover,  he  composed  two  songs  in  the 
Kurdish  language  to  be  sung  before  the  sanjkas  in  this 
language,  which  is  the  most  ancient  and  acceptable 
one.    The  meaning  of  the  song  is  this: 

Hallelujah  to  the  jealous  God. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       45 

As  they  sing  it,  they  march  before  the  sanjaks  with 
timbrels  and'  pipes.  These  sanja^^s  remain  with  our 
emir,  who  sits  on  the  throne  of  Yezid.  When  these 
are  sent  away,  the  hawwals  assemble  with  the  emir, 
and  the  great  general,  the  seih,  who  is  the  representa- 
tive of  §eih  Nasir-ad-Din,  i.  e.,  Nisroch,  god  of  the 
ancient  Assyrians.^'  They  visit  the  sanjaks.  Then  they 
send  each  sanjak  in  care  of  a  kawwdl  to  its  own  place; 
one  to  Halataneye,  one  to  Aleppo,  one  to  Russia,  and 
one  to  Sin  jar.  These  sanjaks  are  given  to  four  kaw- 
wdls  by  contract.  Before  they  are  sent,  they  are 
brought  to  Seih  *Adi's  tomb,  where  they  are  baptized 
amid  great  singing  and  dancing.  After  this  each  of 
the  contractors  takes  a  load  of  dust  from  Seih  'Adi's 
tomb.  He  fashions  it  into  small  balls,  each  about  the 
size  of  a  gall  nut,  and  carries  them  along  with  the 
sanjaks  to  give  them  away  as  blessings.  When  he 
approaches  a  town,  he  sends  a  crier  before  him  to 
prepare  the  people  to  accept  the  kawwdl  and  his  sanjak 
with  respect  and  honor.  All  turn  out  in  fine  clothes, 
carrying  incense.  The  women  shout,  and  all  together 
sing  joyful  songs.  The  kawwdl  is  entertained  by  the 
people  with  whom  he  stops.  The  rest  give  him  silver 
presents,  everyone  according  to  his  means. 

Besides  these  four  sanjaks,  there  are  three  others, 
seven  in  all.  These  three  are  kept  in  a  sacred  place 
for  purposes  of  healing.  Two  of  them,  however,  re- 
main with  Seih  *Adi,  and  the  third  remains  in  the 
village  of  Bahazanie,  which  is  distant  from  Mosul 
about  four  hours.    Every  four  months  these  kawwdls 


46  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

travel  about.  One  of  them  must  travel  in  the  province 
of  the  emir.  They  travel  in  a  fixed  order,  differing 
each  year.  Every  time  he  goes  out,  the  traveler  must 
cleanse  himself  with  water  made  sour  with  summak 
(sumac)  and  anoint  himself  with  an  oil.  He  must  also 
light  a  lamp  at  each  idol  that  has  a  chamber.  This  is 
the  law  that  pertains  to  the  sanjaks. 

The  first  day  of  our  new  year  is  called  the  Sersdlie, 
i.  e.,  the  beginning  of  a  year.  It  falls  on  the  Wednes- 
day of  the  first  week  in  ApriP®  On  that  day  there 
must  be  meat  in  every  family.  The  wealthy  must 
slaughter  a  lamb  or  an  ox ;  the  poor  must  kill  a  chicken 
or  something  else.  These  should  be  cooked  on  the 
night,  the  morning  of  which  is  Wednesday,  New 
Year's  day.  With  the  break  of  day  the  food  should 
be  blessed.  On  the  first  day  of  the  year  alms  should 
be  given  at  tombs  where  the  souls  of  the  dead  lie. 

Now  the  girls,  large  and  small,  are  to  gather  from 
the  fields  flowers  of  every  kind  that  have  a  reddish 
color.  They  are  to  make  them  into  bundles,  and,  after 
keeping  them  three  days,  they  are  to  hang  them  on  the 
doors  ^^  as  a  sign  of  the  baptism  of  the  people  living 
in  the  houses.  In  the  morning  all  doors  will  be  seen 
well  decorated  with  red  lilies.  But  women  are  to  feed 
the  poor  and  needy  who  pass  by  and  have  no  food; 
this  is  to  be  done  at  the  graves.  But  as  to  the  kawwdls, 
they  are  to  go  around  the  tombs  with  timbrels,  singing 
in  the  Kurdish  language.  For  so  doing  they  are  en- 
titled to  money.  On  the  above-mentioned  day  of 
Sersdlie  no  instruments  of  joy  are  to  be  played,  be- 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       47 

cause  God  is  sitting  on  the  throne  (arranging  decrees 
for  the  year),^°  and  commanding  all  the  wise  and  the 
neighbors  to  come  to  hiro.  And  when  he  tells  them 
that  he  will  come  down  to  earth  with  song  and  praise, 
all  arise  and  rejoice  before  him  and  throw  upon  each 
the  squash  of  the  feast.  Then  God  seals  them  with  his 
own  seal.  And  the  great  God  gives  a  sealed  decision 
to  the  god  who  is  to  come  down.  He,  moreover,  grants 
him  power  to  do  all  things  according  to  his  own  will. 
God  prefers  doing  good  and  charity  to  fasting  and 
praying.  The  worship  of  any  idol,  such  as  Seyed-ad- 
Din  or  Seih  Sams  is  better  than  fasting.  Some  layman 
is  to  give  a  banquet  to  a  kochak  after  the  fastmg  of 
the  latter  forty  days,  whether  it  be  in  summer  or  in 
winter.  If  he  (the  kochak)  says  this  entertainment  is 
an  alms  given  to  the  sanjak,  then  he  is  not  released 
from  his  fasting.  When  it  comes  to  pass  that  the 
yearly  tithe-gatherer  finds  that  the  people  have  not 
fully  paid  their  tithes,  he  whips  them  till  they  become 
sick,  and  some  even  die.  The  people  are  to  give  the 
kochaks  money  to  fight  the  Roman  army,  and  thus 
save  the  sect  (Yezidis  from  the  wrath  of  the  man  of 
the  year. 

Every  Friday  a  load  of  gifts  is  to  be  brought  as  an 
offering  to  an  idol.  At  that  time,  a  servant  is  to  call 
the  people  aloud  from  the  roof  of  a  kochak's  house, 
saying,  it  is  the  call  of  the  prophet  to  a  feast.  All  are 
to  listen  reverently  and  respectfully;  and,  on  hearing 
it,  every  one  is  to  kiss  the  ground  and  the  stone  on 
which  he  happens  to  lean. 


48  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

It  is  our  law  that  no  kawwdl  shall  pass  a  razor  over 
his  face.  Our  law  regarding  marriage  is  that  at  the 
time  of  the  wedding  a  loaf  of  bread  shall  be  taken 
from  the  house  of  a  kochak  and  be  divided  between 
the  bride  and  the  bridegroom,  each  to  eat  one-half. 
They  may,  however,  eat  some  dust  from  §eih  'Adi's 
tomb  instead  of  the  bread  for  a  blessing.  Marriage 
in  the  month  of  April  is  forbidden,  for  it  is  the  first 
month  of  the  year.  This  rule,  however,  does  not  apply 
to  kawwals;  they  may  marry  during  this  month.  No 
layman  is  allowed  to  marry  a  kochak's  daughter. 
Everyone  is  to  take  a  wife  from  his  own  class.  But 
our  emir  may  have  for  a  wife  any  one  whom  he  pleases 
to  love.  A  layman  may  marry  between  the  ages  of 
ten  and  eighty;  he  may  take  for  a  wife  one  woman 
after  another  for  a  period  of  one  year.  On  her  way 
to  the  house  of  the  bridegroom,  a  bride  must  visit  the 
shrine  of  every  idol  she  may  happen  to  pass;  even  if 
she  pass  a  Christian  church,  she  must  do  the  same. 
On  her  arrival  at  the  bridegroom's  house,  he  must  hit 
her  with  a  small  stone  in  token  of  the  fact  that  she 
must  be  under  his  authority.  Moreover,  a  loaf  of 
bread  must  be  broken  over  her  head  as  a  sign  to  her 
that  she  must  love  the  poor  and  needy.  No  Yezidi 
may  sleep  with  his  wife  on  the  night  the  morning  of 
which  is  Wednesday,  and  the  night  the  morning  of 
which  is  Friday.  Whosoever  does  contrary  to  this 
commandment  is  an  infidel.  If  a  man  steal  the  wife 
of  his  neighbor,  or  his  own  former  wife,  or  her  sister 
or  mother,  he  is  not  obliged  to  give  her  dowry,  for 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        49 

she  is  the  booty  of  his  hand.  Daughters  may  not  in- 
herit their  father's  wealth.  A  young  lady  may  be  sold 
as  an  acre  of  land  is  sold.  If  she  refuses  to  be  mar- 
ried, then  she  must  redeem  herself  by  paying  her 
father  a  sum  of  money  earned  by  her  service  and  the 
labor  of  her  hand. 

Here  ends  Kitab  Res,  which  is  followed  by  several 
stories,  some  of  which  are  told  secretly,  some  openly. 


APPENDIX    TO    PART    I 


APPENDIX  TO  PART  I 

They  say  our  hearts  are  our  books,  and  our  seihs 
tell  us  everything  from  the  second  Adam  until  now 
and  the  future.  When  they  notice  the  sun  rise,  they 
kiss  the  place  where  the  rays  first  fall;  they  do  the 
same  at  sunset,  where  its  rays  last  fall.  Likewise  they 
kiss  the  spot  where  the  moon  first  casts  its  rays  and 
where  it  last  casts  them.  They  think,  moreover,  that 
by  the  multiplication  of  presents  to  siehs  and  idols  they 
keep  troubles  and  afflictions  away. 

There  is  a  great  difference  among  the  kochaks,  they 
contradict  one  another.  Some  say,  ''Melek  Taus  ap- 
pears to  me  and  reveals  to  me  many  revelations." 
Others  say,  "We  appear  to  people  in  many  different 
ways."  Some  believe  that  Christ  is  §eih  Sams  himself. 
They  say  that  they  have  had  prophets  in  all  times ;  the 
kochaks  are  the  prophets.  One  of  the  kochaks  says  in 
one  of  his  prophecies:  'T  was  in  Jonah's  ship,  where 
a  lot  was  cast  in  my  presence.  It  fell  on  Jonah ;  and 
he  was  thrown  into  the  sea,  where  he  remained  forty 
days  and  nights."  Another  said:  'T  was  sitting  with 
the  great  God,  who  said,  'I  hope  the  time  will  come 
when  I  shall  send  Christ  to  the  world.'  I  said  to  him, 
'Yes.'  Then  he  sent  him.  After  making  a  sign  in  the 
sun,  Christ  came  down  to  the  earth."    He  appeared  to 

5S 


54  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

our  sect  only,  and  made  for  us  seven  circles,  which  are 
at  §eih  *Adi.    Now  he  appeared  to  us  because  we  ob- 
serve  the  necessary  order,  which  the  other  sects  do 
not  observe.    Their  origin  and  race  are  unknown ;  ours 
are  known.    We  are  emirs  and  sons  of  emirs ;  we  are 
seihs  and  sons  of  seihs;  we  are  kochaks  and  sons  of 
kochaks,    etc.      But   Christians    and    Moslems    make 
priests  and  muUas  for  themselves  out  of  those  who 
had  none  of  their  kindred  in  those  offices  before,  and 
never  will  have  afterward.    We  are  better  than  they. 
We  are  allowed  to  drink  wine;  our  young  men  also 
may  desire  it  when  they,  in  company    with    women, 
engage  in  religious  dancing  and  playing.      Some    of 
the  kochaks  and  seihs,  however,   are   not   allowed   to 
drink  it.    When  one  is  about  to  die,  he  is  visited  by  a 
kochak,  who  places  a  bit  of  §eih  'Adi's  dust  in  his 
mouth.    Before  he  is  buried  his  face  is  anointed  with 
it.    Moreover,  the  dung  of  sheep  is  placed  on  his  tomb. 
Finally,  food  is  offered  on  behalf  of  the  dead.     The 
kochaks  pray  for  the  dead  at  the  graves,  for  which 
service  they  are  paid.     They  tell  the  relatives  of  the 
dead  what  they  see  in  dreams  and  visions,  and  the 
condition  of  their  dead,  whether  they  have  been  trans- 
lated to  the  human  or  to  the  animal  race.    Some  people 
hide  silver  or  gold  coins  that  they  plan  to  take  out  in 
case  they  are  born  the  second  time  in  this  world.  Some 
believe  that  the  spirits    of    many    righteous    persons 
travel  in  the  air.    Those  spirits  make  revelations  to  the 
kochaks,  who  are  acquainted  with  the  world  of  mys- 
teries and  secrets.    Life  and  death  are  in  their  hands. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        55 

Hence  the  fate  of  the  people  depends  on  the  gratitude 
and  honor  which  they  show  the  kochaks.  According 
to  Yezidis,  hell  has  no  existence.  It  was  created  in 
the  time  of  the  first  Adam,  they  say,  when  our  father, 
Ibrik  al-Asfar,  was  born.^^  By  reason  of  his  gener- 
osity  and  noble  deeds,  Ibrik  had  many  friends.  Now, 
when  he  viewed  hell  he  became  very  sad.  He  had  a 
small  hakhuk  asfar,^'^  into  which,  as  he  kept  weeping 
his  tears  fell.  In  seven  years  it  was  filled.  He  then 
cast  it  into  hell,  and  all  its  fires  were  put  out  that  man- 
kind might  not  be  tortured.  This  incident  relates  to 
one  of  the  noble  deeds  of  our  first  father,  Ibrik-al- 
Asfar.  They  have  many  more  such  upright  men  of 
noble  deeds.  Such  an  one  is  Mohammed  Rasan,  whose 
resting  place  is  behind  the  mount  of  Seih  Mattie." 
He  (Rasan)  is  exceedingly  strong,  so  that  the  most 
sacred  oaths  are  sworn  by  him.  If  any  one  becomes 
sick,  he  takes  refuge  in  making  vows  to  hasin,  i.  e., 
pillars  of  idols.  Now  there  is  a  place  of  religious 
pilgrimage  which  is  called  Sitt  Nafisah.  This  place 
is  a  mulberry  tree  in  the  village  of  Ba'asika.  An- 
other such  place  is  called  'Abdi  Rasan,  and  is  in  the 
village  of  Karabek.  A  third  place  of  pilgrimage  is 
in  the  village  Bahzanie,  which  is  called  §eih  BakQ. 
Nearby  is  a  spring,  and  beside  this  is  a  mulberry  tree. 
Whoever  is  afflicted  with  fever,  goes  to  that  tree, 
hangs  on  its  branches  a  piece  of  cloth  from  his  clothes, 
and  casts  bread  in  the  spring  for  the  fish.  All  this 
he  does  that  he  may  be  cured.  They  entertain  the  be- 
'  lief  that  whoever  unties  or  shakes  off  one  of  the  shreds 


56  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

of  cloth  will  catch  the  disease  with  which  the  man 
was  afflicted  when  he  hung  it  up.  There  are  many 
such  trees  in  the  village  of  Ba'asika,  and  in  some  other 
places.  There  is  also  a  spring  of  water,  called  in 
the  common  language  *Ain  as-Safra  (Yellow  Spring). 
The  Yezidis  call  it  Kani-Zarr.^*  In  this  swim  those 
who  are  afflicted  with  the  disease  of  ahu-safar  (jaun- 
dice.) But  those  who  are  troubled  with  dropsy  go 
for  cure  to  the  house  of  the  PIr  that  lives  in  the  village 
of  Man  Res. 

When  they  assemble  at  §eih  *A-di's,  no  one  is  allowed 
to  cook  anything.  Every^one  is  to  eat  from  §eih  'Adi's 
table.  As  to  the  kochaks,  every  one  of  them  sits  on  a 
stone,  as  one  sits  in  prayer.  To  them  the  laity  go, 
seeking  succor.  They  give  them  money  while  making 
their  petition,  and  vow  to  the  stone  on  which  the 
kochak  sits,  sheep  and  oxen,  everyone  according  to 
his  means.  Now,  at  the  New  Year  the  places  are  given 
in  contract.  When  they  assemble  at  the  New  Year, 
they  dance  and  play  with  instruments  of  joy.  Before 
eating  the  kahdus,  i.e.,  the  vowed  ox,  they  swim  in  the 
water  of  Zamzam,  a  spring  coming  from  beneath  the 
temple  of  §eih  *Adi.  Then  they  eat  in  haste,  snatching 
meat  from  the  pot  like  fanatics,  so  that  their  hands 
are  frequently  burned.  This  practice  is  in  accordance 
with  their  rules.  After  eating,  they  go  up  the  moun- 
tain, shooting  with  their  guns,  and  then  return  to  §eih 
'Adi.  Everyone  of  them  takes  a  little  dust  and  pre- 
serves it  for  the  times  of  wedding  and  death.  They 
wear  entwined  girdles  which  they  call  the  ties  of  the 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        57 

back  (belt).  They  baptize  these  and  the  sanjaks  with 
the  water  of  Zamzam.  He  who  is  called  Jawis  ^^ 
wears  a  stole  which  is  woven  from  the  hair  of  a  goat. 
It  is  nine  spans  in  length  and  around  it  are  sansuls 
(tinsels). 

When  the  gathering  comes  to  an  end,  they  collect 
the  money  from  the  kochaks  and  the  contractors,  and 
bring  it  to  the  emir.  After  everyone  has  taken  ac- 
cording to  his  rank,  the  remainder  goes  to  the  emir. 

They  have  another  gathering  which  takes  place  at 
the  feast  of  Al-Hijajj.  At  this  pilgrimage  they  go 
up  to  the  mountain  which  is  called  Jabal  al-'Arafat.^^ 
After  remaining  there  an  hour,  they  hasten  toward 
§eih  *Adi.  He  who  arrives  there  before  his  com- 
panions  is  praised  much.  Hence  everyone  tries  to 
excel.  The  one  who  succeeds  receives  abundant 
blessings. 

They  still  have  another  assembly.  This  is  called 
"the  road  of  the  kochaks,"  when  each,  putting  a  rope 
around  his  neck,  goes  up  the  mountain.  After  col- 
lecting wood  they  bring  it  to  Seih  *Adi,  carrying  it  on 
their  backs.  The  wood  is  used  for  heating  purposes 
and  for  the  emir's  cooking. 

During  these  assemblies  the  sanjaks  are  passed 
around.  In  the  first  place  they  are  washed  with  water 
made  sour  with  sumac  in  order  to  be  cleansed  from 
their  rust.  The  water  is  given  away  in  drinks  for 
purposes  of  blessing.  In  return  money  is  taken.  In 
the  second  place,  the  kochaks  go  around  with  the 
sanjaks  to  collect  money. 


58  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

In  their  preaching,  the  seihs  tell  the  people  that  all 
kings  have  come  from  their  descent,  such  as  Nisroch,^^ 
who  is  Nasr-ad-Din,  and  Kamus  who  is  Fahr-ad-Din, 
and  Artamis,  who  is  Sams-ad-Din,  and  many  others, 
as  Shabur  and  Yoram;  and  many  royal  names  of  the 
ancient  kings,  together  with  their  own  (Yezidi)  kings, 
are  from  their  seed.  The  sign  of  the  Yezidi  is  that  he 
wears  a  shirt  with  a  round  bosom.  It  differs  from 
that  of  the  other  people,  the  bosom  of  whose  shirts 
are  open  all  the  way  down. 

There  is  one  occasion  when  no  Yezidi  will  swear 
falsely,  viz.,  when  one  draws  a  circle  on  the  ground, 
and  tells  him  that  this  circle  belongs  to  Ta'us-Melek, 
Seih  *Adi,  and  Yezfd,  and  baryshabakei.  He  places 
him  in  the  middle  of  the  circle,  and  then  tells  him  that 
Melek  Ta'us  and  all  those  who  were  mentioned  above 
will  not  intercede  for  him  after  his  death,  and  that 
the  shirt  of  the  Jewish  Nasim^^  be  on  his  neck,  and 
that  the  hand  of  Nasim  be  on  his  neck  and  eye,  and 
that  Nasim  be  his  brother  for  the  next  world,  and  let 
him  be  to  him  for  a  seih  and  a  pir  if  he  does  not  tell 
the  truth.  Then  if  he  swears  to  tell  the  truth,  he  can- 
not conceal  anything.  For  an  oath  made  under  such 
conditions  is  considered  greater  than  that  made  in  the 
name  of  God,  and  even  than  that  made  in  the  name 
of  one  of  their  prophets. 

They  fast  three  days  in  a  year  from  morning  till 
evening.  The  fast  falls  in  December,  according  to  the 
oriental  calendar.  They  have  no  prayer^°  except  what 
is  mentioned  above,  such  as  that  referring  to  the  sun 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        59 

and  the  moon,  and  asking  help  from  seihs  and  holy 
places  when  they  say,  "O  Seih  'Adi,  O  Seih  Sams," 
and  the  like.  They  are  all  forbidden  to  teach  their 
children  anything,  with  the  exception  of  two  stanzas 
which  they  teach  their  children  out  of  necessity  and 
because  it  is  traditional. 

A  story  is  told  about  them  by  reliable  people.    Once 
when  Seih  Nasir  was  preaching  in  a  village  at  Mount 
Sinjar,  there  was  a  Christian  mason  in  the  audience 
who,  seeing  the  house  filled  with  people,  thought  they 
were  going  to  pray.    He  then  pretended  to  take  a  nap, 
that  he  might  amuse  himself  with  what  he  should  hear. 
He  knew  the  kurdish  language.    When  the  Christian 
seemed  to  be  asleep,  but  was  really  awake  and  listen- 
ing, §eih  Nasir  began  to  preach  saying:  "Once  the 
great  God  appeared  to  me  in  vision.     He  was  angry 
at  Jesus  because  of  a  dispute  with  him.    He  therefore 
caught  him  and  imprisoned  him  in  a  den  which  had  no 
water.    Before  the  mouth  of  the  den  he  placed  a  great 
stone.    Jesus  remained  in  the  den  a  long  time,  calling 
upon  the  prophets  and  the  saints  for  help  and  asking 
their  aid.    Every  one  whose  succor  Jesus  asked  went 
to  beg  the  great  God  to  release  him.    But  God  did  not 
grant  their  requests.     Jesus  therefore  remained  in  a 
sorrowful  state,  knowing  not  what  to  do."    After  this 
the  preacher  remained  silent  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  thus  a  great  silence  prevailed  in  the  house.    Then 
he  went  on  to  say:  "O  poor  Jesus,  why  are  you  so 
forgotten,  so  neglected?     Do  you  not  know  that  all 
the  prophets  and  all  the  saints  have  no  favor  with 


6o  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

the  great  God  unto  Melek  Ta'us?    Why  have  you 
forgotten  him  and  have  not  called  upon  him?"     Say- 
ing this,  the  preacher  again  remained  silent  as  before. 
Afterward  he  again   continued:   "J^^^s   remained  in 
the  den  till  one  day  when  he  happened  to  remember 
Melek  Ta'us.     He  then   sought  his  aid,  praying,   *0 
Melek  Ta'us,  I  have  been  in  this  den  for  some  time. 
I  am  imprisoned;  I  have  sought  the  help  of  all  the 
saints,  and  none  of  them  coud  deliver  me.    Now,  save 
me  from  this  den.'     When  Melek  Ta'us  heard  this,  he 
descended    from   heaven    to   earth   quicker   than    the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  removed  the  stone  from  the  top 
of  the  den,  and  said  to  Jesus,  'Come  up,  behold  I  have 
brought  thee  out.'     Then  both  went  up  to  heaven. 
When  the  great  God  saw  Jesus,  he  said  to  him,  *0 
Jesus,  who  brought  thee  out  of  the  den?    Who  brought 
thee  here  without  my  permission?'  Jesus  answered  and 
said,  'Melek  Ta'us  brought  me  out  of  the  den  and  up 
here.'    Then  God  said,  'Had  it  been  another,  I  would 
have  punished  him,  but  Melek  Ta'us  is  much  beloved 
by  me;  remain  here  for  the  sake  of  my  honor.'     So 
Jesus    remained   in    heaven."      The   preacher    added, 
"Notice  that  those  who  are  without  do  not  like  Melek 
Ta'us.     Know  ye  that  in  the  resurrection  he  will  not 
like  them  either,  and  he  will  not  intercede  for  them. 
But,  as  for  us,  he  will  put  us  all  in  a  tray,  carry  us 
upon  his  head,  and  take  us  into  heaven,  while  we  are 
in  the  tray  on  his  head."  When  the  congregation  heard 
this,  they  rose  up,  kissed  his  clothes  and  feet,  and  re- 
ceived his  blessing. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        6i 

Now  the  views  of  the  Yezidis  regarding  the  birth 
of  Christ  and  the  explanation  of  the  name  of  the 
Apostle  Peter,  are  found  in  one  of  their  stories,  which 
runs  thus:  "Verily  Mary  the  Virgin  mother  of  Jesus, 
begat  Jesus  in  a  manner  unlike  the  rest  of  women. 
She  begat  him  from  her  right  side,^^  between  her 
clothes  and  her  body.  At  that  time  the  Jews  had  a 
custom  that,  if  a  woman  gave  birth,  all  her  relatives 
and  neighbors  would  bring  her  presents.  The  women 
would  call,  carrying  in  their  right  hand  a  plate  of 
fruits  which  were  to  be  found  in  that  season,  and  in 
the  left  hand  they  would  carry  a  stone.  This  custom 
was  a  very  ancient  one.  Therefore  when  Mary  the 
Virgin  gave  birth  to  Jesus,  the  wife  of  Jonah,  who  is 
the  mother  of  Peter,  came  to  her;  and,  according  to 
the  custom,  carried  a  plate  of  fruit  in  her  right  hand 
and  a  stone  in  her  left.  As  she  entered  and  gave  Mary 
the  plate,  behold,  the  stone  which  was  in  her  left  hand 
begat  a  male.  She  called  his  name  Simon  Cifa,  that  is, 
son  of  the  stone.  Christians  do  not  know  these  things 
as  we  do." 

They  have  a  story  explaining  the  word  heretic.  It 
is  this:  When  the  great  God  created  the  heavens,  he 
put  all  the  keys  of  the  treasuries  and  the  mansions 
there  in  the  hands  of  Melek  Ta'us,  and  commanded 
him  not  to  open  a  certain  mansion.  But  he,  without 
the  knowledge  of  God,  opened  the  house  and  found  a 
piece  of  paper  on  which  was  written.  "Thou  shalt 
worship  thy  God  alone,  and  him  alone  shalt  thou 
serve."    He  kept  the  paper  with  him  and  allowed  no 


62  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

one  else  to  know  about  it.  Then  God  created  an  iron 
ring  and  hung  it  in  the  air  between  the  heaven  and 
the  earth.  Afterward  he  created  Adam  the  first. 
Melek  Ja'us  refused  to  worship  Adam  when  God 
commanded  him  to  do  so.  He  showed  the  written 
paper  which  he  took  from  the  mansion  and  said,  "See 
what  is  written  here."  Then  the  great  God  said,  "It 
may  be  that  you  have  opened  the  mansion  which  I  for- 
bade you  to  open."  He  answered,  "Yes."  Then  God 
said  to  him,  "You  are  a  heretic,  because  you  have  dis- 
obeyed me  and  transgressed  my  commandment." 

From  this  we  know  that  God  speaks  in  the  Kurdish 
language,  that  is  from  the  meaning  of  this  saying, 
"Go  into  the  iron  ring  which  I,  thy  God,  have  made  for 
whosoever  does  contrary  to  my  commandment  and 
disobeys  me." 

When  one  criticizes  such  a  story  as  this  by  saying 
that  God  drove  Melek  Ta'us  from  heaven  and  sent 
him  to  hell  because  of  his  pride  before  God  the  most 
high,  they  do  not  admit  that  such  is  the  case.  They 
answer:  "It  is  possible  that  one  of  us  in  his  anger 
should  drive  out  his  child  from  his  house  and  let  him 
wait  until  the  next  day  before  bringing  him  back? 
Of  course  not.  Similar  is  the  relation  of  the  great 
God  to  Melek  Ta'us.  Verily  he  loves  him  exceedingly. 
You  do  not  understand  the  b<  cks  which  you  read 
The  Gospel  says,  'No  one  ascended  up  to  heaven  but 
he  who  came  down  from  heaven.'  No  one  came  down 
from  heaven  but  Melek  Ta'us  and  Christ.  From  this 
we  know  that  the  great  God  has  been  reconciled  to 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        6^ 

Melek  Ta'us,  who  went  up  to  heaven,  just  as  God  came 
down  from  heaven  and  went  up  again." 

The  following  is  a  story  told  of  a  kochak :  It  is  re- 
lated that  at  one  time  there  was  no  rain  in  the  village 
of  Ba'asika.     In  this  village  there  was  a  Yezidi  whose 
name  was  Kochak  Beru.    There  were  also  some  saints 
and   men   of   vision   dwelling   there.     They    (people) 
gathered  to  ask  Beru  to  see  about  the  rain.     He  told 
them,  "Wait  till  tomorrow  that  I  may  see  about  it." 
They  came  to  him  on  the  next  day  and  said,  "What 
have  you  done  concerning  the  question  of  rain?     We 
are  exceedingly  alarmed  by  reason  of  its  being  with- 
held."   He  answered:  'T  went  up  to  heaven  last  night 
and  entered  into  the  divan  where  the  great  God,  Seih 
*Adi,  and  some  other  seihs  and  righteous  men  were 
sitting.    The  priest  Isaac  was  sitting  beside  God.    The 
great  God  said  to  me,  'What  do  you  want,  O  Kochak 
Beru;  why  have  you  come  here?'     I  said  to  him,  *My 
lord,  this  year  the  rain  has  been  withheld  from  us  till 
now,  and  all  thy  servants  are  poor  and  needy.     We 
beseech  thee  to  send  us  rain  as  thy  wont.'     He  re- 
mained silent  and  answered  me  not.     I  repeated  the 
speech   twice    and    thrice,   beseeching   him.      Then    I 
turned  to  the  seihs  who  sat  there,  asking  their  help 
and  intercession.     The  great  God  answered  me,  *Go 
away  until  we  think  it  over.'    I  came  down  and  do  not 
know  what  took  place  after  I  descended  from  heaven. 
You  may  go  to  the  priest  Isaac  and  ask  him  what 
was  said  after  I  came  down."    They  went  to  the  priest 
and  told  him  the  story,  and  asked  him  what  was  said 


64  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

after  Kochak  Beru  came  down.  This  priest  Isaac 
was  a  great  joker.  He  answered  them,  "After  the 
kochak  came  down,  I  begged  God  for  rain  on  your 
behalf.  It  was  agreed  that  after  six  or  seven  days 
he  would  send  it."  They  waited  accordingly,  and  by 
a  strange  coincidence,  at  the  end  of  the  period  it  rained 
like  a  flood  for  some  time.  Seeing  this,  the  people 
believed  in  what  they  were  told,  and  honored  the  priest 
Isaac,  looking  upon  him  as  one  of  the  saints,  and 
thinking  that  he  must  have  Yezidi  blood  in  him.  For 
more  than  twenty  years  this  story  has  been  told  as 
one  of  the  tales  of  their  saints. 

Once  §eih  'Adi  bn  Musafir  and  his  murlds  were 
entertained  by  God  in  heaven.  When  they  arrived, 
they  did  not  find  straw  for  their  animals.  Therefore 
Seih  'Adi  ordered  his  murids  to  carry  straw  from  his 
threshing  floor  on  the  earth.  As  it  was  being  trans- 
ported, some  fell  on  the  way,  and  has  remained  as  a 
sign  in  heaven  unto  our  day. '  It  is  known  as  the  road 
of  the  straw  man. 

They  think  that  prayer  is  in  the  heart;  therefore 
they  do  not  teach  their  children  about  it.  And  in 
their  book  neither  is  there  any  rule  regarding  prayer, 
nor  is  prayer  considered  a  religious  obligation. 

Some  assert  that  at  one  time  Seih  'Adi,  in  company 
with  Seih  'Abd-al-Kadir,  made  a  pilgrimage  to  Mecca, 
where  he  remained  four  years.  After  his  absence 
Melek  Ta'us  appeared  to  them  (the  two  seihs)  in  his 
symbol.  He  dictated  some  rules  to  them  and  taught 
them  many  things.    Then  he  was  hidden  from  them. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        65 

Four  years  later  Seih  *Adi  returned  from  Mecca ;  but 
they  refused  him  and  would  not  accept  him.  They 
asserted  that  he  had  died  or  ascended  to  heaven.  He 
remained  with  them,  but  was  without  his  former  re- 
spect. When  the  time  of  his  death  came,  Melek  Ta'us 
appeared  to  them  and  declared,  "This  is  §eih  'Adi 
himself,  honor  him."  Then  they  honored  him  and 
buried  him  with  due  veneration,  and  made  his  tomb 
a  place  of  pilgrimage.  In  their  estimation  it  is  a  more 
excellent  spot  than  Mecca.  Everyone  is  under  obli- 
gation to  visit  it  once  a  year  at  least ;  and,  in  addition 
to  this,  they  give  a  sum  of  money  through  the  seihs 
to  obtain  satisfaction  (that  §eih  'Adi  may  be  pleased 
with  them).     Whoever  does  this  not  is  disobedient. 

Moreover,  it  is  said  that  the  reason  why  the  pil- 
grimage to  his  tomb  is  regarded  as  excellent  by  us  and 
by  God  is  that  in  the  resurrection  Seih  *Adi  will  carry 
in  a  tray  all  the  Yezidis  upon  his  head  and  take  them 
into  paradise,  without  requiring  them  to  give  account 
or  answer.  Therefore  they  regard  the  pilgrimage  to 
his  tomb  as  a  religious  duty  greater  than  the  pilgrimage 
to  Mecca. 

There  are  some  domes,  huts,  around  the  tomb  of 
Seih  *Adi.  They  are  there  for  the  purpose  of  receiving 
blessings  from  the  tomb.  And  they  are  all  attributed 
to  the  great  Seihs,  as  the  hut  of  'Abd-al-Kadir-al- 
Jilani;23  ^he  hut  of  Seih  Kadib-al-Ban ;  the  hut  of 
Seih  Sams-ad-Din;  the  hut  of  Seih  Mansur-al-Hallaj, 
and  the  hut  of  Seih  Hasan-al-Basri.     There  are  also 


66  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

some  other  huts.     Each  hut  has  a  banner  made  of 
calico.     It  is  a  sign  of  conquest  and  victory. 

Eating  of  deer's  meat  is  forbidden  them,  they  say, 
because  the  deer's  eyes  resemble  the  eyes  of  Seih  'Adi. 
Verily  his  virtues  are  well-known  and  his  praiseworthy 
qualities  are  traditions  handed  down  from  generation 
to  generation.  He  was  the  first  to  accept  the  Yezidi 
religion.  He  gave  them  the  rules  of  the  religious  sect 
and  founded  the  office  of  the  seih.  In  addition  to  this, 
he  was  renowned  for  his  devotion  and  religious  ex- 
ercise. From  Mount  Lalis,  he  used  to  hear  the  preach- 
ing of  'Abd-al-Kadir-al-Jilani  in  Bagdad.  He  used 
to  draw  a  circle  on  the  ground  and  say  to  the  religious 
ones,  ''Whosoever  wants  to  hear  the  preaching  of  Al- 
Jilani,  let  him  enter  within  this  circle."  The  following 
custom,  which  we  have,  began  w4th  him:  If  we  wish 
to  swear  to  anyone,  a  seih  draws  a  circle,  and  he  who 
is  to  take  an  oath,  enters  into  it. 

At  one  time,  passing  by  a  garden,  Seih  'Adi  asked 
about  lettuce;  and,  as  no  one  answered,  he  said, 
"Huss"  (hush).  For  this  reason  lettuce  is  forbidden 
and  not  eaten. 

As  regards  fasting,  they  say  about  the  month  of 
Ramadan  that  it  was  dumb  and  deaf.  Therefore, 
when  God  commanded  the  Moslems  to  fast,  he  like- 
wise commanded  the  Yezidis,  saying  to  them  in  the 
Kurdish  language,  "sese,"  meaning  "three."  The 
Mohammedans  did  not  understand  it ;  they  took  it  for 
"se,"  "thirty."  For  this  reason,  they  (Yezidis)  fast 
three  days.     Moreover,  they  believe  there  are  eating, 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        67 

drinking,  and  other  earthly  pleasures  in  the  next 
world.^^  Some  hold  that  the  rule  of  heaven  is  in  God's 
hands,  but  the  rule  of  the  earth  is  in  Seih  'Adi's  hands. 
Being  exceedingly  beloved  by  God,  he  bestowed  upon 
him  according  to  'Adi's  desire. 

They  believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls.  This 
is  evinced  by  the  fact  that  when  the  soul  of  Mansur- 
al-Hallaj  parted  from  his  body  when  the  Caliph  of 
Bagdad  killed  him  and  cast  his  head  into  the  water, 
his  soul  floated  on  the  water.  By  a  wonderful  chance 
and  a  strange  happening,  the  sister  of  the  said  Mansur 
went  to  fill  her  jar.  The  soul  of  her  brother  entered  it. 
Without  knowing  what  had  happened,  she  came  with 
it  to  the  house.  Being  tired,  she  felt  thirsty  and  drank 
from  the  jar.  At  that  moment  the  soul  of  her  brother 
entered  her,  but  she  did  not  perceive  it  until  she  be- 
came pregnant.  She  gave  birth  to  a  son  who  resembled 
§eih  Mansur  himself.  He  became  her  brother  accord- 
ing  to  birth  and  her  son  according  to  imputation.  The 
reason  why  they  do  not  use  drinking-vessels  which 
have  narrow  mouths,  or  a  net-like  cover,  is  that  when 
one  drinks  water  from  them  they  make  a  sound.  When 
the  head  of  §eih  Mansur  was  thrown  into  the  water 
it  gurgled.  In  his  honor  they  do  not  use  the  small 
jars  with  narrow  necks. 

They  assert  that  they  expect  a  prophet  who  will 
come  from  Persia  to  annul  the  law  of  Mohammed  and 
abrogate  Islam.  They  believe  that  there  are  seven 
gods,  and  that  each  god  administers  the  universe  for 
ten  thousand  years;  and  that  one  of  these  gods  is 


68  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Lasiferos,  the  chief  of  the  fallen  angels,  who  bears 

also  the  name  Melek  Ta'us.     They  make  him  a  graven 

image  after  the  form  of  a  cock^*  and  worship  it.    They 

play  the  tambourine  and  dance  before  it  to  make  it 

rejoice  with  them.    They  (kawwdls)  travel  within  the 

Yezidis'  villages  to  collect  money,  at  which  time  they 

take  it  into  the  houses  that  it  may  bless  and  honor 
them.     Some  say  that  Seih  'Adi  is  a  deity ;  others  that  he 

is  like  a  Vizier  to  God.  To  him  all  things  are  referred. 
This  is  Melek  Ta'us  age.  The  ruling  and  administra- 
tive power  is  in  his  hands  until  the  thousandth  year. 
When  the  time  comes  to  an  end  he  will  deliver  the 
power  to  the  next  god  to  rule  and  administer  until 
another  thousand  years  shall  be  ended,  and  so  on  until 
the  seventh  god.  And  yet  there  is  accord  and  love 
among  these  gods,  and  none  is  jealous  of  the  one  who 
may  rule  and  administer  the  world  for  a  period  of 
ten  thousand  years.  They  have  a  book  named  Al 
Jilwah  that  they  ascribe  to  §eih  *Adi,  and  they  suffer 
no  one  who  is  not  one  of  them  to  read  it. 

Mention  is  made  in  some  of  their  books  that  the 
First  Cause  is  the  Supreme  God,  who  before  he  created 
this  world,  was  enjoying  himself  over  the  seas;^^  and 
in  his  hand  was  a  great  White  Pearl,  with  which  he 
was  playing.  Then  he  resolved  to  cast  it  into  the  sea, 
and  when  he  did  so  this  world  came  into  being. 

Moreover,  they  think  themselves  not  to  be  of  the 
same  seed  from  which  the  rest  of  mankind  sprung, 
but  that  they  are  begotten  of  the  son  of  Adam,  who 
was  born  to  Adam  of  his  spittle.    For  this  reason  they 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      69 

imagine  themselves  nobler  and  more  pleasing  to  the 
gods  than  others. 

They  say  they  have  taken  fasting  and  sacrifice  from 
Islam;  baptism  from  Christians;  prohibition  of  foods 
from  the  Jews;  their  way  of  worship  from  the  idol- 
aters; dissimulation  of  doctrine  from  the  Rafidis 
(Shi'ites)  ;  human  sacrifice  and  transmigration  from 
the  pre-lslamic  paganism  of  the  Arabs  and  from  the 
Sabians.  They  say  that  when  the  spirit  of  man  goes 
forth  from  his  body,  it  enters  into  another  man  if  it 
be  just;  but  if  unjust,  into  an  animal. 


THE  POEM  IN  PRAISE  OF  §EIH  'ADi 
Peace  Be  unto  Him 

My  understanding  surrounds  the  truth  of  things, 

And  my  truth  is  mixed  up  in  me, 

And  the  truth  of  my  descent  is  set  forth  by  itself. 

And  when  it  was  known  it  was  altogether  in  me. 

And  all  that  are  in  the  universe  are  under  me, 

And  all  the  habitable  parts  and  deserts. 

And  everything  created  is  under  me, 

And  I  am  the  ruling  power  preceding  all  that  exists. 

And  I  am  he  that  spoke  a  true  saying, 

And  I  am  the  just  judge  and  the  ruler  of  the  earth. 

And  I  am  he  that  men  worship  in  my  glory. 

Coming  to  me  and  kissing  my  feet. 

And  I  am  he  that  spread  over  the  heavens  their  height. 

And  I  am  he  that  cried  in  the  beginning. 

And  I  am  he  that  of  myself  revealeth  all  things. 

And  I  am  he  to  whom  came  the  book  of  good  tidings 

From  my  Lord,  who  burneth  the  mountains. 

And  I  am  he  to  whom  all  created  men  come 

In  obedience  to  kiss  my  feet. 

I  bring  forth  fruit  from  the  first  juice  of  early  youth 

By  my  presence,  and  turn  toward  me  my  disciples. 

And  before   this   light  the   darkness   of   the  morning 

cleared  away. 
I  guide  him  that  asketh  for  guidance. 
I  am  he  that  caused  Adam  to  dwell  in  Paradise 
And  Nimrod  to  inhabit  a  hot  burning  fire. 

70 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        71 

And  I  am  he  that  guided  Ahmed  the  Just, 

And  let  him  into  my  path  and  way. 

And  I  am  he  unto  whom  all  creatures 

Come  for  my  good  purposes  and  gifts. 

And  I  am  he  that  visited  all  the  heights, 

And  goodness  and  charity  proceed  from  my  mercy. 

And  I  am  he  that  made  all  hearts  to  fear 

My  purpose,  and  they  magnify  the  majesty  and  power 

of  my  awfulness. 
And  I  am  he  to  whom  the  destroying  lion  came 
Raging,  and  I   shouted  against  him  and  he  became 

stone. 
And  I  am  he  to  whom  the  serpent  came, 
And  by  my  will  I  made  him  dust. 
And  I  am  he  that  struck  the  rock  and  made  it  tremble, 
And  made  to  burst  from  its  sides    the    sweetest    of 

waters.^® 
And  I  am  he  that  sent  down  the  certain  truth; 
For  me  is  the  book  that  comforteth  the  oppressed. 
And  I  am  he  that  judged  justly, 
And  when  I  judged  it  was  my  right 
And  I  am  he  that  made  the  springs^®  to  give  water, 
Sweeter  and  pleasanter  than  all  waters. 
And  I  am  he  that  caused  it  to  appear  in  my  mercy, 
And  by  my  power  I  called  it  the  pure. 
And  I  am  he  to  whom  the  Lord  of  heaven  hath  said. 
Thou  art  the  just  Judge  and  Ruler  of  the  earth. 
And  I  am  he  that  disclosed  some  of  my  wonders. 
And  some  of  my  virtues  are  manifested  in  that  which 

exists. 
And  I  am  he  that  caused  the  mountains  to  bow, 
To  move  under  me  and  at  my  will.^^ 
And  I  am  he  before  whose  majesty  the  wild  beasts 

cried ; 
They  turned  to  me  worshiping,  and  kissed  my  feet. 
And  I  am  *Adi  as-§ami,  the  son  of  Musafir. 


^2  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Verily  the  All-Merciful  has  assigned  unto  me  names, 
The  heavenly  throne,  and  the  seat,  and  the   (seven) 

heavens,  and  the  earth. 
In  the  secret  of  my  knowledge  there  is  no  God  but  me. 
These  things  are  subservient  to  my  power. 
O  mine  enemies,  why  do  you  deny  me? 

0  men,  deny  me  not,  but  submit. 

In  the  day  of  judgment  you  will  be  happy  in  meeting 

me. 
Who  dies  in  my  love,  I  will  cast  him 
In  the  midst  of  Paradise,  by  my  will  and  pleasure; 
But  he  that  dies  unmindful  of  me 
Will  be  thrown  into  torture  in  misery  and  affliction. 

1  say  I  am  the  only  one  and  the  exalted; 
I  create  and  make  rich  those  whom  I  will. 
Praise  it  to  myself,  for  all  things  are  by  my  will, 
And  the  universe  is  lighted  by  some  of  my  gifts. 
I  am  the  king  that  magnifies  himself, 

And  all  the  riches  of  creation  are  at  my  bidding. 

I  have  made  known  unto  you,  O  people,  some  of  my 

ways. 
Who  desireth  me  must  forsake  the  world. 
And  I  can  also  speak  the  true  saying. 
And  the  garden  on   high   is    for  those  who  do   my 

pleasure. 
I  sought  the  truth  and  became  a  confirming  truth ; 
And  by  the  like  truth  shall  they,  like  myself,  possess 

the  highest  place. 


THE  PRINCIPAL  PRAYER  OF  THE  YEZIDIS 

Amen,  Amen,  Amen! 

Through  the  intermediation  of  §ams-ad-Din, 

Fahr  ad-Din,  Nasir-ad-Din, 

Sajad  ad-Din,  Seih  Sin   (Husein), 

Seih  Bakr,  Kadir  ar-Rahman. 

Lord,  thou  art  gracious,  tliou  art  merciful  ; 

Thou  art  God,  king  of  kings  and  lands, 

King  of  joy  and  happiness. 

King  of  good  possession   (eternal  life). 

From  eternity  thou  art  eternal. 

Thou  art  the  seat  of  luck  (happiness)  and  Ufe; 

Thou  art  lord  of  grace  and  good  luck. 

Thou  art  king  of  jinns  and  human  beings, 

King  of  the  holy  men  (saints). 

Lord  of  terror  and  praise, 

The  abode  of  religious  duty  and  praise, 

Worthy  of  praise  and  thanks. 

Lord!  Protector  in  journeys. 

Sovereign  of  the  moon  and  of  the  darkness, 

God  of  the  sun  and  of  the  fire, 

God  of  the  great  throne. 

Lord  of  goodness. 

Lord!  No  one  knows  how  thou  art. 

Thou  hast  no  beauty;  thou  hast  no  height. 

Thou  hast  no  going  forth ;  thou  hast  no  number. 

Lord!    Judge  of  kings  and  beggars. 

Judge  of  society  and  of  the  world, 

Thou  hast  revealed  the  repentance  of  Adam. 

Lord,  thou  hast  no  house;  thou  hast  no  money; 

73 


74  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Thou  hast  no  wings,  hast  no  feathers  ; 

Thou  hast  no  voice,  thou  hast  no  color. 

Thou  hast  made  us  lucky  and  satisfied. 

Thou  hast  created  Jesus  and  Mary. 

Lord,  thou  art  gracious, 

Merciful,  faithful. 

Thou  art  Lord ;  I  am  nothingness. 

I  am  a  fallen  sinner, 

A  sinner  by  thee  remembered. 

Thou  hast  led  us  out  of  darkness  into  light. 

Lord !    My  sin  and  my  guilt. 

Take  them  and  remove  them. 

O  God,  O  God,  O  God,  Amen! 


SEVEN  CLASSES  OF  YEZIDIS 

They  are  divided  into  seven  classes,  and  each  class 
has  functions  peculiar  to  itself  that  cannot  be  dis- 
charged by  any  of  the  other  classes.     They  are : 

1.  Seih.  He  is  the  servant  of  the  tomb,  and  a  des- 
cendant  of  Imam  Hasan  al-Basri.  No  one  can  give  a 
legal  decision  or  sign  any  document  except  the  seih 
who  is  the  servant  of  Seih  'Adi's  tomb.  He  has  a 
sign  by  which  he  is  distinguished  from  others.  The 
sign  is  a  belt  which  he  puts  on  his  body,  and  net-like 
gloves,  which  resemble  the  halters  of  camels.  H  he 
goes  among  his  people,  they  bow  down  and  pay  him 
their  respects.  The  seihs  sell  a  place  in  paradise  to 
anyone  who  wishes  to  pay  money. 

2.  Emir.  The  emirship  specifically  belongs  to  the 
descendants  of  Yezid.  They  have  a  genealogical  tree, 
preserved  from  their  fathers  and  forefathers,  which 
goes  up  to  Yezid  himself.  The  emirs  have  charge  of 
the  temporal  and  governmental  affairs,  and  have  the 
right  to  say,  *'Do  this  and  do  not  that." 

3.  Kawwal.  He  has  charge  of  tambourines  and 
flutes  and  religious  hymns. 

4.  Pir.  To  him  appertain  the  conduct  of  fasts,  the 
breaking  of  fasts,  and  hair-dressing. 

5.  Kochak.    To  him  appertain  the  duties  of  religious 

75 


76 


DEVIL  WORSHIP 


instruction,     and    sepulture,    and    interpretation    of 
dreams,  i.  e.,  prophecy. 

6.  Fakir.  To  him  appertain  the  duties  of  instruc- 
tion of  boys  and  girls  in  playing  on  the  tambourines, 
in  dancing  and  religious  pleasure.   He  serves  §eih  'Adi. 

7.  Mulla.  To  him  appertain  the  duties  of  instruct- 
ing children.  He  guards  the  books  and  the  mysteries 
of  religion  and  attends  to  the  affairs  of  the  sect. 


ARTICLES  OF  FAITH 

At  one  time  (A.  H.  1289;  A.  D.  1872),  the  Ottoman 
power  wanted  to  draft  from  among  them  an  army 
instead  of  takmg  the  tax  which  was  its  due.  They 
presented  to  the  government  all  the  rules  that  pre- 
vented them  from  complying.  These  all  pertain  to 
religion  and  are  moral  obligations  upon  them.  They 
are  as  follows: 

Article  I 

According  to  our  Yezidi  religion  every  member  of 
our  sect,  whether  big  or  little,  girl  or  woman,  must 
visit  Melek  Ta'us  three  times  a  year,  that  is,  first,  from 
the  beginning  to  the  last  of  the  month  of  April,  Roman 
calendar;  secondly,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of 
the  month  of  September;  thirdly,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end  of  the  month  of  November.  If  anyone  visit 
not  the  image  of  Melek  Ta'us,  he  is  an  infidel. 

Article  II 

If  any  member  of  our  sect,  big  or  little,  visit  not  his 
highness  §eih  'Adi  bn  Musafir— may  God  sanctify  his 
mysteries !  once  a  year,  i.  e.,  from  the  fifteenth  to  the 
twentieth  of  the  month  of  September,  Roman  calendar, 
he  is  an  infidel  according  to  our  religion. 

77 


78  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Article  III 

Every  member  of  our  sect  must  visit  the  place  of  the 
sunrise  every  day  when  it  appears,  and  there  should 
not  be  Moslem,  nor  Christian,  nor  any  one  else  in  that 
place.     If  any  one  do  this  not,  he  is  an  infidel. 

Article  IV 

Every  member  of  our  sect  must  daily  kiss  the  hand 
of  his  brother,  his  brother  of  the  next  world,  namely, 
the  servant  of  the  Mahdi,  and  the  hand  of  his  seih 
or  pir.  If  any  one  do  this  not,  he  is  regarded  as  an 
infidel. 

Article  V 

According  to  our  religion  it  is  something  intolerable 
when  the  Moslem  in  the  morning  begins  to  say  in 
prayer,  God  forbid!  "I  take  refuge  in  God,  etc."^^  If 
any  one  of  us  hear  it,  he  must  kill  the  one  who  says  it 
and  kill  himself ;  otherwise  he  becomes  an  infidel. 

Article  VI 

When  one  of  our  sect  is  on  the  point  of  death,  if 
there  be  no  brother  of  the  next  world  and  his  seih,  or 
his  pir  and  one  of  the  kawwals  with  him  to  say  three 
sayings  over  him,  viz. ;  "O  servant  of  Melek  Ta'us, 
whose  ways  are  high,  you  must  die  in  the  religion  of 
the  one  we  worship,  who  is  Melek  Ta'us,  whose  ways 
are  high,  and  do  not  die  in  any  other  religion  than  his. 
And  if  some  one  should  come  and  say  to  you  some- 
thing from  the  Mohammedan  religion,  or  Christian 
religion,  or  Jewish  religion,  or  some  other  religion,  do 
not  believe  him,  and  do  not  follow  him.  And  if  you 
believe  and  follow  another  religion  than  that  of  the 
one  we  worship,  Melek  ^  a'us,  you  shall  die  an  infidel," 
he  becomes  an  infidel. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        79 

Article  VII 

We  have  something  called  the  blessing  of  §eih  'Adi, 
that  is,  the  dust  of  the  tomb  Seih  *Adi — may  God  sanc- 
tify his  mystery!  Every  member  of  our  sect  must 
have  some  of  it  with  him  in  his  pocket  and  eat  of  it 
every  morning.  And  if  he  eat  not  of  it  intentionally, 
he  is  an  infidel.  Likewise  at  the  time  of  death,  if  he 
possess  not  some  of  that  dust  intentionally,  he  dies 
an  infidel. 

Article  VIII 

Regarding  our  fasting,  if  any  one  of  our  sect  wish 
to  fast,  he  must  fast  in  his  own  place,  not  in  another. 
For  while  fasting  he  must  go  every  morning  to  the 
house  of  his  seih  and  his  ptr,  and  there  he  must  begin 
to  fast ;  and  when  he  breaks  his  fast,  likewise,  he  must 
go  to  the  house  of  his  seih  and  his  ptr,  and  there  break 
the  fast  by  drinking  the  holy  wine  of  the  seih  or  the 
pir.  And  if  he  drink  not  two  or  three  glasses  of  that 
wine,  his  fasting  is  not  acceptable,  and  he  becomes 
an  infidel. 

Article  IX 

If  one  of  our  sect  go  to  another  place  and  remain 
there  as  much  as  one  year,  and  afterward  return  to  his 
place,  then  his  wife  is  forbidden  him,  and  none  of  us 
will  give  him  a  wife.  If  anyone  give  him  a  wife,  that 
one  is  an  infidel. 

Article  X 

Regarding  our  dress,  as  we  have  mentioned  in  the 
fourth  Article  that  every  one  of  our  sect  has  a  brother 
for  the  next  world,  he  has  also  a  sister  for  the  next 
world.^®  Therefore  if  any  one  of  us  make  for  himself 
a  new  shirt,  it  is  necessary  that  his  sister  for  the  next 


8o  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

world  should  open  its  neck  band,  i.  e.,  the  neck  band  of 
that  shirt,  with  her  hand.  And  if  she  open  it  not  with 
her  hand,  and  he  wear  it,  then  he  is  an  infidel. 

Article  XI 

If  some  one  of  our  sect  make  a  shirt  or  a  new  dress, 
he  cannot  wear  it  without  baptizing  it  in  the  blessed 
water  which  is  to  be  found  at  the  shrine  of  his  highness 
Seih  'Adi  may  God  sanctify  his  mystery!  If  he  wear 
it,  he  is  an  infidel. 

Article  XII 

We  may  not  wear  a  light  black  dress  at  all.  We 
may  not  comb  our  heads  with  the  comb  of  a  Moslem 
or  a  Christian  or  a  Jew  or  any  other.  Nor  may  we 
shave  our  heads  with  the  razor  used  by  any  other 
than  ourselves  (Yezidis),  except  it  be  washed  in  the 
blessed  water  which  is  to  be  found  at  the  shrine  of  his 
highness  §eih  *Adi.  Then  it  is  lawful  for  us  to  shave 
our  heads.  But  if  we  shave  our  heads  without  the 
razor  having  been  washed  in  that  water,  we  become 
infidels. 

Article  XIII 

No  Yezidi  may  enter  the  water-closet  of  a  Moslem, 
or  take  a  bath  at  a  Moslem's  house,  or  eat  with  a 
Moslem  spoon  or  drink  from  a  Moslem's  cup,  from  a 
cup  used  by  any  one  of  another  sect.  If  he  does,  he  is 
an  infidel.*^ 

Article  XIV 

Concerning  food,  there  is  a  great  difference  between 
us  and  the  other  sects.  We  do  not  eat  meat  or  fish, 
squash,  bamia  (okra),  fasulia  (beans),  cabbage,  or 
lettuce.  We  cannot  even  dwell  in  the  place  where 
lettuce  is  sown.*^ 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        8i 

For  these  and  other  reasons,  we  cannot  enter  the 
military  service,  etc. 

The  names  of  those  who  affixed  their  signatures : 

The  Head  of  the  Yezidi  Sect,  the  Emir  of 
Seihan,  Husein. 

The  Religious  Seih  of  the  Yezidi  Sect  of  the 
District  of  Seihan,    Seih  Nasir. 

The  Chief  of  the  Village  of  Mam   Resan, 
PiR  Suleiman. 

The  Village  Chief  of  Muskan,  Murad. 


(( 

<( 

ft 

Hatarah,  Ayyub. 

(( 

(( 

tt 

9 

Beiban,  Husein. 

(t 

tt 

ft 

Dahkan,  Hassan. 

tc 

ft 

tt 

Huzran,  Nu'mo. 

t* 

tt 

ft 

Bakasra,  'All 

tt 

tt 

ft 

Ba'asika,  Jam6. 

tt 

tt 

ft 

HOSABA,    IlIAS. 

(t 

tt 

tt 

Krepahin,  Sagd. 

« 

tt 

ft 

Kabareh,  K6chak. 

<( 

(< 

(( 

Kaso. 

a 

tt 

tt 

SiNA,    'AbDO. 

{( 

tt 

(( 

*Ain  Sifni,  Gurgo. 

n 

ft 

tt 

Kasr-7zz-ad-Din. 

tt 

ft 

ft 

Heiro. 

tt 

It 

(t 

Kiberto,  Tahir. 

AND 

others. 

82  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

These  are  they  whose  names  were  in  the  petition 
above  mentioned,  and  from  which  we  copied  a  few 
things 

The  result  was  that  when  they  presented  this 
petition,  they  were  exempted  from  military  service, 
but  they  paid  a  tax  in  money  as  did  the  Christians. 


NOTES  ON  PART  I 

^A.  H.  295  (A.  D.  807-8).  This  is  the  date  of 
Al-Muktadir  s  accession,  who  reigned  till  A.  H.  320 
(A.  D/932)  ;  cf.  W.  Muir,  The  Caliphate,  p.  559. 

2  The  life  of  Mansur-al-Hallaj  is  given  in  Fihrist 

(ed.  Flugel),  p.  190. 

^The  life  of  *Abd-al-Kadir  of  Jilan  is  given  in 
Jami's  Nafahat  (ed.  Lee),  p.  584. 

*  The  Hakkari  country  is  a  dependency  of  Mosul, 
and  inhabited  by  Kurds  and  Nestorians;  cf.  p.  104. 
Ibn  Haukal,  Kitab  al-Masalik  wal-Mamalik  (ed.  M. 
J.  De  Goeje),  pp.  143  f. 

^  Yakut,  IV,  373,  calls  it  Lailes  and  says  that  §eih 
*Adi  lived  there. 

^  Presumably  Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya,  the  second 
caliph  in  the  Omayyid  dynasty,  who  reigned,  A.  D. 
680-83;  cf.  W.  Muir,  The  Caliphate,  p.  327. 

^  The  life  of  Hasan  al-Basri  is  given  in  Ibn 
Hallikan.  He  is  not  to  be  identified  w'th  Hasan  al- 
Basri  (died  no  A.  H.,  who,  according  to  Mohamme- 
dan tradition,  first  pointed  the  Koran  text,  with  the 
assistance  of  Yahya  bn  Yamar. 

^  In  Menant's*  Yzidis,  48,  the  names  of  these 
seven  angels  are  somewhat  differently  given.  Accord- 
ing to  Mohammedan  tradition  Zazil  or  Azazil  was  the 
original  name  of  the  devil. 

®  By  the  "throne"  here  is  meant  the  throne  cf  God, 
and  by  the  "carpet"  the  earth;  cf.  Sura  60:  131. 

^°  According  to  Moslem  belief,  wheat  was  the  for- 
bidden fruit;  see  Baidawi  on  Sura,  ii,  33. 

83 


84  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

^^  Kunsiniyat  is  an  obscure  term. 

^2 'Ain  Sifni  is  about  five  miles  from  Ba'adrie;  cf. 
Layard,  Nineveh,  I,  272. 

^^  Yakut    (III,    158)    mentions   a   similar   tradition. 

^*  These  are  indications  of  Mohammedan  influence 
and  censorship,  for  no  Yezidi  will  ever  write  in  his 
sacred  book  such  words  as  Seitan,  Sar,  etc. 

^^  That  is,  those  of  other  religions. 

^®  Sanjak  is  a  Turkish  word,  meaning  banner;  it 
is  the  name  by  which  the  Yezidis  generally  designate 
the  sacred  image  of  Melek  Ta'us. 

^^  See  note  27. 

^^  The  Harranian  New  Year  fell  on  the  first  day 
of  April,  and  on  the  sixth  day  they  slaughtered  an  ox 
and  ate  it;  cf.  Fihrist,  322. 

^^  A  similar  practice  is  found  among  the  Parsees 
of  India,  who  hang  a  string  of  leaves  across  the  en- 
trances to  their  houses  at  the  beginning  of  every  New 
Year. 

^^  According  to  Babylonian  mythology,  human 
destiny  was  decreed  on  the  New  Year's  day  and  sealed 
on  the  tenth  day;  cf.  the  Hibbert  Journal,  V,  January, 
1907.  And  according  to  Talm.ud  (Misna,  Ros  hasana, 
I  :2),  New  Year's  is  the  most  important  judgment  day, 
on  which  all  creatures  pass  for  judgment  before  tlie 
Creator.  On  this  day  three  books  are  opened,  wherein 
the  fate  of  the  wicked,  the  righteous,  and  those  of  the 
intermediate  class  are  recorded.  Hence  prayer  and 
works  of  repentance  are  performed  at  the  New  Year 
from  the  first  to  the  tenth  days,  that  an  unfavorable 
decision  might  be  aveited;  cf.  Jewish  Encyclopedia, 
'Penitential  Day."  R.  Akiba  says:  "On  New  Year 
day  all  men  are  judged;  and  the  decree  is  sealed  on 
the  Day  of  Atonement;"  cf.  ibid.,  "Day  of  Joudgment." 

2^  Ibrik  al-Asfar  means  "the  yellow  pitcher." 
^^  Bakbuk  is  a  pitcher  with  a  narrow  spout. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ        85 

^^  Mar  Mattie  is  a  Syrian  monastery  about  seven 
hours'  ride  east  of  Mosul,  generally  known  by  the 
name  of  §eih  Mattie,  in  accordance  with  the  general 
custom  of  sheltering  a  Christian  saint  beneath  a 
Moslem  title.  Elijah  is  known  as  Al-Huder,  "the 
green  one."  Aphrates  was  bishop  of  Seih  Mattie.  The 
church  of  this  monastery  is  a  large  building,  chiefly 
interesting  as  containing  the  tomb  of  the  great  Bar 
Hebraeus,  known  as  Abu-1-Faraj,  who  was  ordained 
at  Tripolis,  and  became  in  1246  A.  D.  Metropolitan 
of  Mosul.  He  lies  buried,  with  his  brother  Barsom, 
in  the  "Beth  Kadiseh  (sanctuary)  of  the  church,  and 
over  them  is  placed  the  inscription :  "This  is  the  grave 
of  Mar  Gregorias,  and  of  Mar  Barsome  his  brother, 
the  children  of  the  Hebrew,  on  Mount  Elpep"  (the 
Syriac  name  for  Jabal  Maklub). 

2*  Kani  in  Kurdish  means  a  spring ;  zarr,  yellow. 
In  Kurdish,  as  in  Persian,  the  adjective  usually  follows 
the  modified  noun;  cf.  Tartibi  Jadid,  Ta'alimi  Faresi. 
The  New  Method  for  Teaching  Persian  (in  the  Turk- 
ish language,  ed.  Kasbar,  Constantinople,  A.  H.  1312), 
p.  18. 

25  Jawis  is  a  Turkish  word,  signifying  a  sergeant. 

"®  This  ceremony,  as  well  as  the  names  'Arafat, 
Zamzam,  etc.,  seems  to  be  a  mere  copy  of  the  Meccah 
Pilgrimage,  'Arafat,  "The  Mount  of  Recognition," 
is  situated  twelve  miles  from  Mecca,  a  place  where 
the  pilgrims  stay  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  day  of  the 
pilgrimage,  and  recite  the  midday  and  afternoon 
prayer.  The  Mohammedan  legend  says,  that  when 
our  first  parents  forfeited  heaven  for  eating  wheat, 
they  were  cast  down  from  the  Paradise,  Adam  fell  on 
the  Isle  of  Ceylon,  and  Eve  near  Jiddah  (the  port  of 
Mecca)  in  Arabia;  and  that,  after  separation  of  200 
years,  Adam  was  conducted  by  the  Angel  Gabriel  to 
a  mountain  near  Mecca,  where  he  found  and  knew 


86  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

his  wife,  the  mountain  being  then  named  'Arafat, 
"Recognition." 

^^  The  god  Nisroch  of  Scripture,  II  Kings  19:37; 
Isa.  37 :  38. 

^^  A  superstitious  name  signifying  an  ill  omen. 

^°  That  is,  public  prayers  like  those  of  the  Mo- 
hammedans and  of  the  Christians;  cf.  Al  Masrik,  II, 

313- 

'^  The  text  has  "her  hand." 

22  While  the  Yezidis  venerate  'Abd  al-Kadir  of 
Jilan,  the  Nusairis  curse  him;  cf.  JAOS,  VIII,  274. 

^^  This  belief  is  taken  from  Mohammedanism. 

^*  The  Arabs  worshiped  a  deity  under  the  form 
of  a  nasr  (eagle),  As-§ahrastani,  II,  434;  Yakut,  IV, 
780;  The  Syriac  Doctrine  of  Addai  (ed. 'George 
Philips),  p.  24. 

^^  Cf.  Gen.  1 :  2,  and  the  Babylonian  Creation  Epic. 

^^  That  is  the  spring  of  Seih  *Adi. 

"  The  reference  is  to  Jabal  Maklub,  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  Yezidi  belief,  moved  from  its  place  near 
Lalis  to  enable  every  Yezidi,  wherever  he  may  be,  to 
direct  his  morning  prayers  toward  the  tomb  of  *Adi. 

^^  The  Moslem  begins  his  prayer  by  cursing  the 
devil. 

That  is  a  person  of  the  same  faith,  a  Yezidi. 
A  Nusairi,  on  the  contrary,  may  become  a  Mo- 
hammedan with  a  Mohammedan,  a  Christian  with  a 
Christian,  and  a  Jew  with  a  Jew;  cf.  JAOS,  VII,  298. 

*^  The  Sabians  did  not  eat  purslane,  garlic,  beans, 
cauliflower,  cabbage,  and  lentis;  cf.  Bar.  Hebraeus, 
At-Tarih,  ed.  A.  Salhani,  Beirut,  1890,  266. 


39 

40 


PART  II 
THE  CRITICAL  DISCUSSION   OF  YEZIDISM 


CHAPTER  I 
The  Religious  Origin  of  the  Yezidis 

The  origin  of  the  devil-worshippers  has  been  the 
subject  of  much  controversy;  but  aside  from  an 
expression  of  views,  no  satisfactory  solution  of  the 
problem  has  as  yet  been  reached.  The  different  theories 
which  have  been  advanced  may  be  classified  under 
four  general  heads:  The  Myth  of  the  Yezidis  them- 
selves; the  tradition  of  Eastern  Christians;  the  dog- 
matic idea  of  the  Mohammedan  scholars;  and  the 
speculative  theory  of  the  western  orientalists. 


The  Yezidi  Myth 

The  Myth  of  the  Yezidis  concerning  their  origin 
may  be  derived  from  three  different  sources:  from 
their  sacred  book,  from  the  appendix  of  the  manu- 
script, and  from  actual  conversation  of  travellers 
with  them  or  with  natives  dweling  among  them.     One 

89 


90  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

noticeable  fact  is  that  this  tradition  assumes  the 
religion  of  the  sect  as  existing  long  before  the  time  of 
their  chief  saint,  Seih  'Adi.  Al-Jilwah  begins  with 
the  statement  that  Melek  Ta'us  sent  his  servant,  i.  e., 
the  Yezidis,  that  they  might  not  go  astray.  Starting 
from  this  assumption,  the  writer  of  the  revealed  book 
goes  on  to  trace  the  origin  of  the  "elect"  to  the  very 
beginning  of  human  history.  He  asserts  that  from 
the  start  God  created  them  as  a  peculiar  people  of 
'Azazil,  i.  e.,  Melek-Ta'us.  In  the  main,  this  idea 
finds  expression  in  the  oral  traditions.  But  here  we 
have  a  mass  of  material  so  clouded  by  superstition 
and  ignorance  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  come  to 
any  conclusion  as  to  the  history  of  this  interesting 
people.  One  point  the  myth  repeatedly  emphasizes, 
as  an  explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  sect,  is  that  it 
was  descended  from  Adam  alone;  while  the  other 
sects  were  descended  from  Adam  and  Eve.  For  this 
reason,  the  same  tradition  implies,  the  Yezidis  are 
nobler  than  the  others.  But  how  they  have  come  to 
be  such  unique  descendants  is  a  question  not  easily 
answered.  One  account  has  it  that  when  Adam  and 
Eve  disputed  as  to  the  generation  of  the  human  race, 
each  claiming  to  be  the  sole  begetter  of  the  race,  they 
finally  agreed  to  put  their  seed  in  separate  jars  and 
seal  them  with  their  own  seals.  After  nine  months 
they  opened  the  jars,  and  in  Adam's  jar  they  found 
two  children,  a  male  and  a  female.  From  these  two 
the  Yezidis  were  descended.  Another  explanation  is 
that  from  Adam's  essence  was  born  Seher  bn  Jebr, 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       91 

of  whom  nothing  is  known;  and  of  him,  a  separate 
community,  which  is  the  sect  of  Melek  Taus.  We 
have,  moreover,  the  tradition  that  the  Yezidis  are 
descendants  of  a  son  born  to  Adam  of  his  spittle. 
Now  whether  this  son  be  identical  with  Seher  bn  Jebr 
is  not  certain.  Writing  in  one  of  the  oriental  period- 
icals, an  eastern  scholar  quotes  a  Yezidi  seih  in 
a  statement  which  seems  to  corroborate  the  tradition 
that  the  Yezidis  are  a  noble  progeny  of  Adam;  but  the 
quotation  differs  from  the  instance  previously  cited  in 
stating  that  the  quarrel  which  took  place  between 
Adam  and  Eve  led  to  their  separation  to  places  distant 
from  each  other  a  journey  of  forty  days.^  There,  it 
is  said,  Adam  miraculously  gave  birth  to  a  son.  Dis- 
tressed by  this  incident.  Eve  asked  God  that  she  might 
find  favor  in  her  husband's  eyes  by  giving  birth  to  a 
child.  Thereupon,  it  continues,  she  begot  a  very 
pretty  daughter.  Attracted  by  her  beauty,  Adam 
married  her  to  his  son.  Now,  the  Yezidis,  we  are 
told,  are  the  blessed  seed  of  these  two  children.^ 

Not  only  when  the  tradition,  tracing  the  origin  of 
the  Yezidis  as  a  race,  asserts  that,  as  a  religious  body, 
they  come  from  a  very  ancient  time;  but  also  when 
it  speaks  of  them  as  a  nation,  it  points  out  their 
antiquity.  On  this  latter,  as  well  as  on  the  former 
point,  their  book  and  their  oral  tradition  agree.  The 
Yezidis  are  said  to  have  sprung  from  a  noble  per- 
sonage, the  King  of  Peace,  whose  name  was  Na-'umi, 
but  whom  they  now  call  Melek-Miran.^  The  rest  of 
mankind,  however,  are  from  the  seed  of  Ham,  who 


92  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

mocked  his  father.  Whom  they  signified  by  Na-*umi 
or  Miran  it  is  hard  to  say;  but  it  is  likely  that  they 
regard  him  as  one  of  the  other  two  sons  of  Noah. 
They  claim  also  that  the  ancient  Assyrian  kings  were 
members  of  their  race,  and  that  some  of  the  Persian, 
Roman  and  Jewish  kings  were  appointed  for  them  by 
Melek  Ta'us.  They  likewise  seem  to  trace  their  origin 
to  the  prophets  and  other  personages  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment; as  Seth,  Enoch,  Noah,  etc.  Their  religion 
furthermore,  they  assert,  antedates  Christ.* 

There  is  still  another  tradition  that  traces  the  devil- 
worshippers  to  a  different  origin.  I  refer  to  the  state- 
ment which  Masehaf  Res  makes  regarding  Mu'awiya, 
Mohammed's  servant.^  Mu'awiya  was  asked  by  his 
master  to  shave  his  head.  While  performing  the  duty, 
he  cut  the  prophet's  scalp,  and  began  to  lick  the  bleed- 
ing spot.  When  he  was  told  that  this  act  would  result 
in  his  giving  birth  to  a  nation  which  would  oppose  the 
followers  of  his  master,  Mu'Awiya  declared  that  he 
would  not  marry.  He  was  afterwards,  however, 
bitten  by  a  serpent,  and  was  told  that  he  would  die 
unless  he  married.  He  therefore  consented  to  marry, 
but  chose  an  old  woman  in  order  not  to  have  children. 
But  she  miraculously  became  a  young  woman  of 
twenty-five.  And  from  her  the  God  Yezid  was  bom. 
The  story,  of  course,  is  a  myth,  and  it  is  of  such  a 
nature  that  no  historic  fact  can  be  derived  from  it. 
It  is  further  complicated  by  the  fact  tliat  this  Yezid 
is  indentified  with  Melek  Ta'us ;  and,  in  another  myth, 
is  represented  in  form  as  being  half  angel  and  half 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       93 

man  and  as  remaining  a  bachelor  long  after  the  mar- 
riage of  Adam.  He  was,  however,  finally  possessed 
of  a  desire  to  marry,  and,  unable  to  marry  a  mortal's 
daughter,  being  himself  half  angel,  sought  the  assist- 
ance of  Melek  Ta'us,  who  presented  to  him  an  houri, 
and  from  this  union  there  sprang  a  pious  people,  the 
Yezidis. 

But  the  devil-worshippers  have  still  another  story, 
which  goes  to  show  that  Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya  is  not 
their  founder.     This  myth  asserts  that  they  are  the 
progeny  of  Adam's  son  who  was  married  to  Eve's 
daughter;  that  the  descendants  continued  worshipping 
God   and    Melek    Ta'us    without   bringing   a    foreign 
element  into  their  religion;  and  that,  at  first,  the  sect 
did  not  bear  the  name  Yezidis,  which,  in  their  own 
opinion,  is  a  comparatively  new  appellative.     As  to 
how  they  came  to  be  called  by  this  new  name,  it  is 
explained   that   when,   in   the    course   of   time,    some 
corruption  entered  the  Yezidi  religion,  there  arose  a 
certain   Calif   by   the   name   of   Yezid   who   wrought 
miracles.     Since  then,  his  followers  have  been  called 
Yezidis.      This    Yezid,    it    is    said,    is    the    son    of 
Mu'awiya  bn  Sufian,  and  his  mother  was  of  Christian 
origin.     To  accomplish  his  desire,  bn  Mu'awiya  went 
to  ieih  *Adi,  who  was  a  learned  and  devout  but  cun- 
ning person,  and  had  instituted  a  reUgious  innovation. 
Yezid,  the  tradition  continues,  learned  'Adi's  religion 
and  taught  it  to  his  followers ;  and,  from  that  time  on, 
the   sect   came   to  be   called   after  him.®     But   while 
some,  considering  this  legend  as  authoritative,  ven- 


94  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

erate  the  man  bearing  the  name,  others  deny  all 
connection  with  him.^ 

The  testimony  of  some  travellers  offers  another 
explanation  of  the  origin  of  the  sect  in  question,  an 
account  which  has  perhaps  more  historical  significance 
than  the  preceding  theories.  It  is  stated  that  the 
Yezidis  have  a  tradition  to  the  effect  that  they  came 
from  Basrah  and  from  the  country  watered  by  the 
lower  part  of  the  Euphrates;  that  after  their  emigra- 
tion they  first  settled  in  Syria,  and  subsequently  took 
possession  of  the  Sinjar  Hill  and  the  district  now 
inhabited  in  Kurdistan.  As  to  the  date  of  their  settle- 
ment in  Mesopotamia,  no  positive  information  can  be 
obtained.  Some  scholars  infer  that  it  took  place  about 
the  time  of  Tamerlane,  toward  the  end  of  the  four- 
teenth century.^  It  is  related  that  the  devil-worship- 
pers hold  that,  among  their  own  number,  the  ancient 
name  for  God  is  Azd,  and  from  it  the  name  of  the 
sect  is  derived;^  that  the  conviction  that  they  are 
Yezidis,  i.  e.,  God's  people,  has  been  their  consolation 
and  comfort  through  the  ages  in  their  tribulations;^** 
and  that  they  have  taken  many  religious  observances 
from  different  bodies — Mohammedans,  Christians, 
Jews,  Pagan  Arabs,  Shiites,  and  Sabaians. 

Besides  these  different  explanations  of  the  origin  of 
the  devil-worshippers  as  descendants  of  Adam,  of 
Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya,  as  being  of  the  colony  from  the 
north,  as  taking  their  name  from  Azd,  God,  there  is 
another  account.  I  refer  to  a  myth  which  is  current 
among  the  people  of  Seistan,  an  eastern  province  of 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       95 

Persia,  where  there  are  a  considerable  number  of  these 
Shaitan  parasts   (devil  worshippers)  : 

"In  former  times  there  existed  a  prophet  named 
Hanalalah,  whose  life  was  prolonged  to  the  measure 
of  a  thousand  years.  He  was  their  ruler  and  bene- 
factor; and  as  by  his  agency,  their  flocks  gave  birth 
to  lambs  and  kids  miraculously  once  a  week,  though 
ignorant  of  the  use  of  money,  they,  with  much  grati- 
tude to  him,  procured  all  the  comforts  of  life.  At 
length,  however,  he  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
son,  whom  Satan,  presuming  on  his  inexperience, 
tempted  to  sin  by  entering  a  large  mulberry  tree,  when 
he  addressed  the  successor  of  Hanalalah,  and  called 
on  him  to  worship  the  prince  of  darkness.  Astonished, 
yet  unshaken,  the  youth  resisted  the  temptation.  But 
the  miracle  proved  too  much  for  the  constancy  of  his 
flock,  who  now  began  to  turn  to  the  worship  of  the 
devil.  The  young  prophet,  enraged  at  this,  seized  an 
axe  and  a  saw,  and  prepared  to  cut  down  the  tree. 
He  was  arrested  in  this  by  the  appearance  of  a 
human  being,  who  exclaimed,  'Rash  boy,  desist! 
Turn  to  me  and  let  us  wrestle  for  the  victory,  li  you 
conquer,  then  fell  the  tree.* 

"The  prophet  contended  and  vanquished  his  oppo- 
nent, who,  however,  bought  his  own  safety  and  that 
of  the  tree  by  the  promise  of  a  large  weekly  treasure. 
After  seven  days  the  holy  victor  again  visited  the  tree 
to  claim  the  gold  or  fell  it  to  the  ground;  but  Satan 
persuaded  him  to  hazard  another  struggle  on  the 
promise    that,  if    he    conquered   again,    the    amount 


96  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

should  be  doubled.  This  second  encounter  proved 
fatal  to  the  youth.  He  was  put  to  death  by  his 
spiritual  antagonist,  and  the  result  confirmed  the 
tribes  over  whom  he  had  ruled  in  their  worship  of  the 
tree  and  its  tutelary  demon."^^ 

According  to  this  legend,  the  §atan  parasts  are  the 
victims  of  their  young  prophet  who,  as  long  as  he  was 
actuated  by  a  disinterested  zeal  for  religion,  was 
victorious  over  the  principle  of  evil;  but  failed  as 
soon  as  that  zeal  gave  place  to  a  sordid  cupidity  for 
earthly  treasure. 

I  have  dwelt  upon  the  superstitious  theories  of  the 
Yezidis  themselves  regarding  their  religious  origin, 
not  because  these  theories  have  an  importance  in 
themselves,  but  because  of  their  bearing  upon  the 
views  advanced  by  modern  scholars.  The  scholars 
have  based  their  theories  on  some  of  these  conflicting 
stories  without  sufficient  criticism.  I  shall  dwell  upon 
this  more  at  length  later  on. 


II 


The  Christian  Tradition 

But  the  myth  of  the  Yezidis  is  not  the  only  account 
that  attempts  to  trace  their  religious  origin ;  the  eastern 
Christians  have  a  tradition  that  gives  a  different 
interpretation.  It  is  to  the  effect  that  the  people  in 
question  were  originally  Christians,  but  that  ignorance 
brought  them  into  their  present  condition.     The  tradi- 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       97 

tion  runs  that  the  shrine  of  Seih  'Adi  was  formerly  a 
Nestorian  monastery  which  was  noted  for  the  devo- 
tion of  its  monks,  but  that  these  were  tempted  by  the 
devil  and  left  their  convent.  The  Church  of  the 
Monastery  was  dedicated  to  St.  Thaddeus  or  Addai,^^ 
one  of  the  seventy-two  disciples  who,  after  the  ascen- 
sion of  our  Lord,  was  sent  to  King  Abgar  of  Edessa. 
It  is  said  that  the  temple  of  *Adi  has  a  conventicle 
resembling  that  at  Jerusalem.^^  The  story  of  how  the 
cloister  was  deserted  is  as  follows : 

On  a  great  feast  day,  while  the  hermits  bearing  the 
cross  went  in  procession  around  the  church,  they 
saw,  hanging  on  a  tree,  a  piece  of  paper  with  this 
inscription:  "O  ye  devout  monks!  Let  it  be  known 
to  you  that  God  has  forgiven  all  your  sins,  great  and 
small ;  cease  to  undergo  religious  exercises ;  leave  your 
hermitage;  disperse,  marry  and  rear  children.  Peace 
be  unto  you!"  On  the  second  day  they  observed  the 
same  thing,  and  were  led  to  dispute  among  themselves 
whether  this  were  a  device  of  God  or  of  a  devil. 
When  on  the  third  day  the  same  incident  was 
repeated,  they  agreed  to  leave  the  abbey  and  follow 
what  seemed  to  them  a  divine  order.  Seih  'Adi,  the 
legend  goes  on,  had  foretold  to  the  Yezidis  of  that 
district  that  the  monks  of  this  monastery  would  desert 
their  place,  would  become  Yezidis,  would  marry  and 
beget  children;  that  he  would  die  during  that  time; 
and  that  he  wishes  his  followers  to  pull  down  the 
altar  of  the  church  in  that  priory  and  bury  him  there. 
Shortly  after  the  fulfilment  of  his  prophecy,  the  §ei]i 


98  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

died,  and  was  entombed  in  the  place  of  the  altar.  And 
since  that  time,  it  is  asserted,  the  spot  has  become  the 
sanctuary  of  the  devil-worshippers.  In  support  of 
this  statement,  it  is  argued,  that  there  was  a  Syriac 
inscription  in  the  temple  mentioning  the  name  of  the 
founder  of  the  monastery  and  the  patriarch  in  whose 
time  it  was  built;  that  some  of  the  Yezids  themselves 
bear  testimony  to  this  fact,  and  say  they  have  removed 
the  writing  from  its  former  place  and  have  hidden  it 
at  the  entrance  to  'Adi's  temple,  a  spot  the  where- 
abouts of  which  only  a  few  of  them  know.  The 
reason  why  this  record  is  hidden,  it  is  explained,  is 
the  fear  that  the  Nestorians  may  see  it  and  reclaim 
the  church." 

Such  is  the  eastern  Christian's  tradition  relative 
to  the  origin  of  the  Yezidis.  It  is,  of  course,  merely 
a  legend ;  but  its  character  is  such  as  to  require  careful 
examination  and  critical  study.  It  may  embody  a 
measure  of  truth  that  will  indirectly  throw  some  light 
on  the  subject  in  hand. 

One  noticeable  thing  regarding  this  current  view  is 
that  it  is  not  a  recent  invention;  else  it  might  be  said 
to  be  the  creation  of  ignorance  at  a  time  far  removed 
from  the  event  which  it  records.  Assemani,  himself 
an  oriental  of  distinguished  scholarship,  in  that  part 
of  his  book  wherein  he  treats  of  the  religion  of 
Mesopotamia,  according  to  the  natives  of  the  country, 
says  that  the  Yezidis  were  at  one  time  Christians,  who, 
however,  in  the  course  of  time,  had  forgotten  the 
fundamental  principles  of  their  faith.^°     This  state- 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ       99 

ment  is  incorporated  in  the  writings  of  all  western 
orientals  that  have  travelled  in  the  East.^^ 

Another  thing  worthy  of  notice  is  that  the  Chris- 
tians should  have  such  a  sacred  regard  for  his  tradi- 
tion as  to  hand  it  down  to  posterity  at  the  risk  of  their 
own  reputation.  Certainly  the  Christians  are  not 
cherishing  this  theory  with  any  expectation  of  receiv- 
ing honor  by  assuming  relation  with  the  Yezidis. 
The  devil-worshippers  are  utterly  despised  by  all  their 
neighbors.  Nor  do  they  do  it  out  of  love,  that  they 
may  arouse  the  sympathy  of  the  dominating  race  for 
this  degraded  people.  Oriental  Christians  themselves 
despise  the  Yezidi  sect.  They  would  not,  and  could 
not,  help  them.  There  must  then  be  some  truth  in  a 
legend  that  leads  the  church  to  regard  a  despised 
people  as  having  been  at  one  time  co-religionists. 

Were  the  antiquity  of  the  tradition,  and  the  un- 
favorable result  which  its  entertainment  causes,  the 
only  two  reasons  for  its  consideration,  we  might  just 
as  well  dismiss  it.  But  there  are  other  things  which 
go  to  point  out  some  historic  facts  underlying  the  cur- 
rent theory.  One  such  fact  is  that  the  family  name 
of  the  Yezidis  around  Mosul  is  Daseni,  plur  Dawasen. 
The  Christians  and  the  Mohammedans  know  them  by 
this  name,  and  they  themselves  also  use  it,  and  say 
it  is  the  ancient  name  of  their  race,  existing  from 
time  immemorial.^''  Now  Daseni,  or  Dasaniyat,  was 
the  name  of  a  Nestorian  Diocese,  the  disappearance  of 
which  is  simultaneous  with  the  appearance  of  the 
Yezidis  in  these  places.^^ 


100  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

It  is  stated,  moreover,  that  all  the  people  of  Sinjar 
were  formerly  Christians,  belonging  to  the  ancient 
Syriac  Church  and  having  a  very  prominent  diocese, 
which  was  called  the  diocese  of  §aki,  i.  e.,  Sinjar;  and 
that  the  diocese  continued  to  exist  till  the  middle  of 
the  eighteenth  century :  What  goes  to  verify  this  tra- 
dition is  that,  at  present,  there  is  a  library  at  Jabal 
Sinjar,  under  the  control  of  the  Yezidis,  that  consists 
of  ancient  Syriac  books.  They  are  kept  in  a  small 
room  guarded  by  a  Yezidi.  On  Sunday  and  Friday 
of  every  week  they  bum  incense  and  light  lamps  in 
honor  of  the  manuscripts ;  and  once  a  month  they  take 
them  out  in  the  sun  to  dust  and  to  preserve  them  from 
destruction  by  dampness.  After  the  door  is  locked, 
the  key  is  kept  by  the  Seih,  besides  whom  and  his  son 
no  one  else  is  allowed  to  touch  the  books.  What  is 
more  interesting,  the  people  of  Sinjar  say  they  have 
inherited  the  library  from  their  forefathers,  who  were 
Christians.^^  It  is  pointed  out,  furthermore,  that  the 
names  of  the  principal  to^/ns  of  the  Yezidis  are 
Syriac.  Ba'sika  comes  from  "the  house  of  the 
falsely  accused,  or  oppressed";  Ba'adrie  from  "the 
place  of  help  or  refuge";  Bahzanie  from  "the  house 
of  visions  or  inspiration";  Talhas  from  "the  hill  of 
suffering,"  where  many  Christians  were  martyred  by 
Persians.  These  are  a  few  of  many  Yezidi  villages 
having  Syriac  names. 

The  Yezidis  have  religious  practices  which  are  to 
be  found  only  in  the  Christian  Church.  I  mean  the 
rites  of  baptism  and  the  Eucharist.    It  is  true  that 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     loi 

the  use  of  water  as  a  rite  is  practised  by  other  non- 
Christian  sects,  such  as  the  Mandeans;  but  it  is 
argued  that  this  ordinance  as  observed  by  the  Yezidis 
is  so  similar  to  that  of  the  Christians  that  its  origin  is 
to  be  traced  back  to  Christianity,  rather  than  to  any 
other  system.  Like  their  neighbors,  the  Dawaseni 
must  if  possible  baptize  their  children  at  the  eariiest 
age.  In  performing  the  rite,  the  Seih,  like  the  Chris- 
tian priest,  puts  his  hand  upon  the  child's  head.  In 
regard  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  it  is 
strictly  Christian  in  character.  The  Yezidis  call  the 
cup  the  cup  of  Isa  (Jesus) ;  and  when  a  couple  marry, 
they  go  to  a  Christian  town  to  partake  of  Al-Kiddas 
(the  Eucharist)  from  the  hand  of  a  priest,  a  custom 
which  prevails  among  eastern  Christians.  What 
requires  special  note  is  that  this  practice  is  observed 
where  the  Yezidi  influence  is  not  very  strong,  a  fact 
which  seems  to  indicate  that  the  Apostate  Nasara, 
who  lived  remote  from  strongly  Yezidising  influences, 
were  able  to  retain  some  of  their  originally  much  fav- 
ored practices,  and  vice  versa.^** 

Finally,  the  Dawaseni  entertain  great  reverence  for 
Christianity  and  the  Christian  saints.  They  respect 
the  churches  and  tombs  of  the  Christians,  and  kiss  the 
doors  and  walls  when  they  enter  them ;  but  they  never 
visit  a  Mohammedan  mosque.  In  the  Black  Book  a 
statement  is  made  that  on  her  way  to  the  house  of 
her  bridegroom,  a  bride  should  visit  the  temple  of 
every  idol  she  passes  by,  even  if  it  be  a  Christian 
Church.^^    They  have  also  professed  reverence  for 


102  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

'Isa   (Jesus).     They  affect  more  attachment  to  An- 
Nasara    than    to    Mohammedans.     Such    a    religious 
affinity  cannot  be  fully  accounted   for  on  any  other 
ground  than  that  of  their  sincere  respect  for  Chris- 
tainity,   a   feeling  which   clearly   indicates   that   these 
people  must  at  one  time  have  had  a  very  close  con- 
nection   with    Christianity.      This    intimate    relation 
cannot  be  explained  by  their  ignorance,  or  by  kindred 
experiences,  as  some  scholars  seem  to  think. ^^      It  is 
true  the  Christians  have  been  co-sufferers  with  them; 
both  have  lived  for  generations  under  the  same  yoke 
of  bondage  and  oppression  and  under  similar  circum- 
stances.     But  this  alone  could  not  create  sympathy 
between  them.     Such  an  assumption  cannot  be  veri- 
fied by  the  facts  collected  through  our  observation  of 
the  Yezidis'  character  as  a  religious  body.     They  are 
sincere   in   their   beliefs,    and   never    compromise    in 
religious  matters.    History  has  shown  again  and  again 
that  they  have  suffered  martyrdom  for  their  faith,  in 
which  they  have  been  as  sincere  and  unshaken  as  have 
been  the  heroes  of  any  religion.     No  matter  how  un- 
educated they  may  be,  they  are  not  hypocrites  in  their 
faith.     The  theory  is  also  refuted  by  our  understand- 
ing of  the  nature  of  the  affinity  in  question  between 
the  Yezidis  and  the  Christians.     It  is  not  a  matter  of 
sympathy    but    of    religion.      They   believe    in    some 
forms  of  Christianity;  and  when  they  visit  a  church, 
they  want  to  exercise  their  faith  and  not  to  express 
their  sympathy.     What  is  more,  the  eastern  Christians 
have  no  sympathy  for  the  devil  worshippers,  at  least, 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      103 

not  more  than  they  have  for  any  other  religious  body. 
Such  an  affinity  is  wanting  between  the  Jews  and  the 
Christians  or  the  Yezidis,  yet  they  all  live  under  the 
same  conditions. 

I  am  not  here  advocating  the  theory,  or  implying, 
that  the  Yezidi  sect  is  a  corrupt  form  of  Christianity, 
but  am  simply  aiming  to  show  that  if  the  similarity 
of  a  certain  religion  with  another  in  some  phases  be 
taken  as  a  ground  for  the  explanation  of  its  origin, 
the  Christian  tradition  can  be  regarded  as  a  more 
probable  theory  to  account  for  the  rise  of  Yezidism 
than  any  other  view :  And,  hence,  to  point  out,  what 
seems  to  me  to  be  the  best  position,  that  the  explana- 
tion must  be  found  ultimately  in  some  historical  docu- 
ment which  will  give  us  a  reasonable  clew  in  the 
tracing  of  the  sect  in  question  to  its  founder. 


Ill 

The  Speculative  Theories  of  Western 
Orientalists 

Thus  far  we  have  been  dealing  with  the  different 
theories  regarding  the  origin  of  the  Yezidis  held  in 
the  East:  the  myth  of  the  devil-worshippers  them- 
selves, the  Christian  tradition.  Now  we  turn  our 
attention  to  the  West,  which  also  has  expressed  itself 
on  this  subject.  The  degree  of  interest  shown  in  this 
particular  case,  however,  differs  with  different 
nationalities.      The    English-speaking    scholars    come 


104  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

first;  next  come  the  French;  then  the  Russians;  and 
finally  the  Italians.    The  German  scholars  seem  to  be 
interested  mainly  in  certain  words  and  festive  events. 
And,  in  the  discussion  of  these,  they  go  so  far  in  their 
unbounded  speculation  that  one  cannot  tell  whether 
the  people  they  deal  with  are  the  Yezidis  in  question, 
Assyrians,  Babylonians,  Canaanites,  Greeks,  Romans 
or  Jews.     The  German  writers  do  not  seem  to  be 
interested  so  much  in  the  problem  of  the  origin  of  this 
people  as  a  sect,  unless  they  regard  the  question  as 
settled  on  the  ground  of  the  Yezidis'  own  statement 
that  they  are  the  descendants  of  Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya. 
To  tell  the  truth,  the  rise  of  the  interest  in  the 
inquiry  about  the  founder  of  this  sect  on  a  scientific 
basis,  is  due,  without  question,  to  the  scholarship  of 
the  West.     And  any  solution  of  the  problem  (and  it 
does   not   matter  who   does   the   work),    in   the   last 
analysis,  must  be  accredited  to  the  influences  emanat- 
ing   from    these    scholars    and    these    scholars   only. 
Nevertheless  modern  orientalists  have  been  far  from 
approaching  the  solution  of  the  question.     This  may 
be  due  in  part  to  the  extreme  interest  which  they 
have  taken  in  the  matter,  an  interest  which  led  them 
to  accept  the  phenomena  without  critical  examination. 
But  the  inductive  study  of  their  respective  writings 
tends  to  show  that  this  is  due  to  their  method  of  pro- 
cedure rather  than  to  anything  else.     They  have  em- 
ployed   the    philosophical     and     not    the    historical 
method.^^     I  do  not  mean  to  deny  the  value  of  such 
a  course  of  investigation  in  questions  pertaining  to 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF   THE  YEZIDIZ    105 

religion,  but  what  I  do  mean  to  say  is  that  the  method 
of  the  scholars  in  question  is  almost  purely  specula- 
tive, and  they  do  not  seem  to  appeal  to  historical  facts 
in  support  of  their  assumptions.  The  inevitable  con- 
sequence has  been,  therefore,  that  in  their  theories 
there  exists  an  uncertainty  and  indefiniteness  that 
puzzles  the  student  of  history. 

Another  fact  which  the  inductive  study  of  the  views 
of  the  western  scholars  reveals  is  that  their  theories 
are  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  expression  of  the 
Yezidis*  tradition  in  terms  of  modern  scholarship, 
without,  however,  the  showing  of  reasons  for  so  do- 
ing. This  fact  will  be  proved  presently  when  we  shall 
examine  their  respective  writings. 

Western  orientalists  are  divided  into  three  schools 
of  opinion  on  the  question  of  the  religious  origin  of 
the  Yezidis.  There  are  those  who  hold  that  the  sect 
takes  its  rise  from  Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya.  This  view  is 
advocated  by  a  modern  writer,  who  says,  "The  Arabs 
who  accepted  Mohammed  called  those  who  did  not 
Al-jahaleen,  i.  e.,  the  ignorant  ones.  Among  the  latter 
was  Yezid  bn  Mu'awiya  who  refused  to  accompany 
Mu'awiya,  his  father,  as  an  attendant  upon  his  person. 
Many  of  the  ignorant  ones  rallied  around  Yezid,  and 
he  became  the  nucleus  of  the  sect  that  appropriated 
his  name.  The  Yezidis  possess  a  genealogical  tree  by 
means  of  which  they  trace  their  religious  origin  back 
to  him."" 

Now,  the  ground  for  this  assertion,  the  writer  does 
not  give;  he  is  entirely  silent  as  to  the  source  of  his 


io6  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

information.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  he  is 
regarding  the  superstitious  theory  of  the  Yezidis  as  a 
fact  without  making  any  reflection  upon  it.  He  also 
seems  to  be  confusing  this  Yezid  with  his  uncle  of 
the  same  name,  who,  with  Mu'awiya  his  brother  came 
in  company  with  their  father  Abu  Sofian,  to  Mo- 
hammed to  receive  presents  from  the  Prophet.  But 
the  Arab  historians  tell  us  that  not  only  Abu  Sofian 
and  each  of  his  two  sons  received  a  hundred  camels 
but  that  they  were  each  presented  with  forty  ounces 
of  silver.^^ 

Then,  too,  many  scholars  deny  that  the  name 
Yezidis  is  the  original  appellation.  Some  assert  it  was 
put  upon  them  by  the  Mohammedans  as  a  term  of 
reproach.-^  Others  maintain  that  the  sect  adopted  the 
name  Yezid,  son  of  Mu'awiya  to  secure  toleration  at 
the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans.-^  But  the  scholar 
quoted  may  entertain  the  view  of  those  who  say  that 
the  Yezidis  are  really  the  followers  of  Ibn  Mu'awiya ; 
but  that  they  deny  it  for  fear  of  persecution  on  the 
part  of  Shiites.  These  latter  hate  Yezid,  because  he 
murdered  'Ali's  son,  Husein,  who  is  regarded  by  them 
as  their  true  Imam.  This  inference  is  founded  on  the 
theory  that  the  Mohammedans  of  Persia  consider  the 
people  in  question  as  descendants  of  the  Calif  whose 
name  is  odious  to  them.^^  But  it  is  not  certain  that 
the  followers  of  *Ali  entertain  such  a  view  regarding 
the  origin  of  the  Yezidis.  And,  if  they  do,  they  have 
no  historical  facts  to  justify  them  in  their  opinion. 
^Their  hatred  of  the  sect  can  be  better  explained  on 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     107 

the  basis  of  the  relation  of  the  devil-worshippers  to 
Yezid  bn  Unaisa.  For  he  was  one  of  those  who  most 
bitterly  hated  'Ali;  see  pp.  121,  122,  128  of  this  book. 

Furthermore,  the  theory  of  this  school  is  neutral- 
ized by  the  fact  that  none  of  the  Arab  historians  men- 
tions the  son  of  the  first  Calif  in  the  Omayyid 
dynasty  as  a  founder  of  any  heretical  sect.  On  the 
contrary,  they  all  agree  that  he  was  not  only  a 
Mohammedan  but  a  successor  of  the  prophet,  being 
the  second  calif  in  the  Omayyid  dynasty.  Ibn 
Hallikan  mentions  his  name  two  or  three  times,  and 
says  that  his  works  were  collected.  He  says  nothing, 
however,  as  to  his  founding  any  religious  schism. 

There  is  still  another  school  among  the  western 
orientalists.  I  mean  those  who  hold  that  the  religion 
of  the  devil-worshippers  is  of  Persian .  origin.  They 
are  of  two  wings.  There  are  those  who  take  their 
method  of  procedure  from  the  name  Yezid  or  Yazd. 
They  argue  that  this  term  in  Persian,  Yazd  (pla 
Yazdan),  Avestan  Yezata,  'worthy  of  worship',  means 
God,  or  good  spirit,  over  against  Ahriman,  the  evil 
principle.  Hence,  the  name  Yezid,  according  to  them, 
indicates  the  people  that  believe  in  this  good  god.  To 
the  objection  that  the  Yezidis  worship  the  evil  spirit, 
answer  is  made  that  Yezid  Ferfer  is  the  name  of  the 
attendant  of  the  evil  spirit  among  the  Parsees.^® 
Others  believe  that  the  word  "Yezid"  signifies  God. 
It  indicates  in  the  plural  the  observers  of  superstitious 
doctrines  as  may  be  seen  by  the  idol  Yezid,  which  the 
Bishop  of  Nagham  overthrew.^*^     Still  others  say  that 


io8  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

in  the  tradition  of  these  people  Yezid  must  have  been 
an  abbreviated  form  of  Aez-da-Khuda,  that  is,  created 
of  God.  In  support  of  this  theory,  it  is  claimed  that 
in  reality  the  Yezidis  worship  God  and  not  the  devil. 
It  is  thought  by  many,  too,  that  the  Yezidis  derive 
their  name  from  Yazd,  or  Yezid,  a  name  of  a  town 
in  Central  Persia,  of  which  the  Parsees  form  the 
principal  part  of  the  inhabitants.^^ 

The  other  wing  of  the  second  school  attempts  to 
trace  the  origin  of  the  devil-worshippers  to  a  Persian 
source  on  the  basis  of  certain  resemblances  between 
the  two  religions.  Conspicuous  among  the  representa- 
tives of  this  school  is  Professor  A.  V.  Jackson,  of 
Columbia  University.  This  distinguished  scholar  is 
considered  an  eminent  authority  on  Iranian  religions, 
and  particularly  an  eye-witness  authority  on  the 
Yezidi  question.  His  views,  therefore,  not  only 
deserve  careful  consideration,  but  they  demand  their 
full  share  in  solving  such  an  important  problem  as  the 
one  under  discussion.  I  have  preferred  his  discussion 
of  this  theory  to  that  of  others  because  he  has  ex- 
pressed himself  clearly  and  consistently  and  without 
rendering  himself  liable  to  misapprehension  on  the 
part  of  the  reader.  Briefly  stated.  Dr.  Jackson's 
position  is  as  follows:  "The  Yezidis  may  actually 
show  some  surviving  traces  of  old  devil-worship  in 
Mazandaran,  which  Zoroaster  anathematized  so  bit- 
terly," and  "some  old  reminiscences  of  common 
Iranian  faith."  To  verify  this  hypothesis,  he  pro- 
ceeds to  point  out  many  instances.     One  example  he 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     109 

cites  is  that  "the  Yezidis  are  shocked  if  one  spits  upon 
the  earth,  because  they  interpret  this  as  an  insult  to 
the  devil."  He  traces  this  abhorrence  to  "Zoroastrian 
prescription,  forbidding  the  earth  in  any  way  to  be 
defiled."  "The  Daevayasna  or  devil-worshippers  in 
Avesta,"  he  goes  on  to  say,  "may  indirectly  have  had 
a  kindred  notion,  i.  e.,  not  mentioning  the  name  of 
Satan."  Moreover  this  American  critic  is  informed 
that  the  Yezidis  "believe  in  a  father  primeval,  that 
lived  before  Adam,  and  did  not  fall  into  sin."  And 
this  information  leads  him  to  think  that  such  a  notion 
helps  "the  Zoroastrian  student  to  recognize  at  once  a 
far-off  reminiscence  of  Avestan  Gaya-Mashai,  the 
Iranian  Adam  and  Eve."^^ 

One  noticeable  thing  in  favor  of  the  two  schools  is 
that  their  method  is  strictly  scientific,  in  the  modern 
sense  of  the  term.  It  is  a  posteriori  and  not  a  priori; 
it  is  inductive.  Yet  however  scientific  their  method 
may  seem  to  be  their  conclusions  cannot  be  accepted 
as  final.  For  the  inductive  method,  according  to  the 
great  French  scientist,  Poincare,  cannot  give  us  exact 
knowledge  because  its  experiments  do  not  cover  all 
the  instances  in  a  given  case.  There  can  be  only  a 
partial  verification.  There  will  always  remain  some 
phenomena  that  cannot  be  brought  within  the  sphere 
of  a  particular  observation.^^  Now,  this  is  exactly 
the  case  in  the  subject  under  consideration.  Only  in 
some  phases  does  the  Yczidi  religion  resemble  that  of 
the  old  Persians.  There  are  other  beliefs  which  do 
not  come  under  this  category,  and  which  seem  to  bear 


no  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

the  traces  of  some  other  religions.  What  are  we  to 
do  with  these  ?^^  The  advocates  of  the  theory  in 
question  admit  that  such  is  the  case,  but  they  assert 
that  "the  resemblances  of  the  Yezidi  religion  to  Chris- 
tianity and  Islam  are  accidental";  that  "owing  to  the 
residence  of  the  Yezidis  among  the  Mohammedans, 
the  sect  naturally  has  much  in  common  with  Islam."^* 
But  why  are  the  resemblances  to  Iranism  not  to  be 
accounted  for  in  the  same  way  as  those  to  other  reli- 
gions? Why  may  not  equally  strong  inference  be 
made  from  the  likeness  to  Christianity?  And  what 
is  the  basis  of  such  a  discrimination?  On  these  ques- 
tions we  are  left  entirely  in  the  dark.  Now,  it  is  this 
lack  of  ground  for  their  method  of  procedure  that 
leads  one  to  seek  the  solutirn  of  the  problem  on  some 
other  verifiable  hypothesis. 

There  is  still  another  school  among  the  western 
orientalists.  I  refer  to  those  who  maintain  that  the 
Yezidi  sect  was  founded  by  Seili  'Adi.  A  modem 
writer  who  holds  this  theory,  after  critically  review- 
ing the  views  held  by  the  different  scholars,  proceeds 
to  advance  his  own  idea.  To  emhasize  it,  and  leave 
no  room  for  further  criticism,  he  claims  that  the 
theory  has  been  "generally"  accepted.     To  quote: 

"It  is  generally  agreed  upon  that  the  sect  of  the 
Yezidis  was  founded  by  Seih  'Adi.  He  is  a  historical 
personage,  but  it  is  exceedingly  difficult,  and  almost 
impossible,  to  establish  any  historical  facts  out  of  the 
mist  of  verv  fantastic  stories  current  about  him."^^ 

He  supports  his  notion  by  an  appeal  to  an  Arab 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     iii 

author,  Kasi  Ahmad  ibn-Hallikan,  from  whom, 
according  to  this  writer,  an  extract  relating  to  Seih 
'Adi  was  published  by  one  who  for  years  was  a  resi- 
dent of  the  city  of  Mosul.^^  This  statement  that  Ibn 
Hallikan  gives  the  biography  of  *Adi  is  a  fact  that 
cannot  be  questioned;  but  that  *Adi  founded  the 
Yezidi  sect  is  a  theory  that  is  by  no  means  "generally 
agreed  upon."  Nor  can  it  be  substantiated.  To 
justify  this  position,  let  me  quote  in  full  what  the  Arab 
biographer  and  two  other  Mohammedan  scholars  have 
to  say  on  the  problem. 

I  What  Ibn  Hallikan  has  to  say  on  Seih  'Adi: 
"The  Seih  *Adi  Ibn  Masafir  Al-Hakkari  was  an 
ascetic,  celebrated  for  the  holiness  of  his  life,  and  the 
founder  of  a  religious  order  called  after  him  Al- 
'Adawiah.  His  reputation  spread  to  distant  countries, 
and  the  number  of  his  followers  increased  to  a  great 
multitude.  Their  belief  in  his  sanctity  was  so  exces- 
sive that,  in  saying  their  p'-ayers,  they  took  him  for 
their  kibla;  and  imagined  that  in  the  next  life  they 
would  have  in  him  their  most  precious  treasure  and 
their  best  support.  Before  this,  he  had  as  a  disciple  a 
great  number  of  eminent  §eihs  and  men  remarkable 
for  their  holiness.  He  then  retired  from  the  world 
and  fixed  his  residence  among  the  mountains  of  the 
Hakkari,  near  Mosul,  where  he  built  a  cell  (or  a 
monastery)  and  gained  the  favor  of  the  people  in  that 
country  to  a  degree  unexampled  in  the  history  of  the 
anchorites.  It  is  said  that  the  place  of  his  birth  was 
a  village  called  Bait  Far,  situated  in  the  province  of 


112  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Baal-bek,  and  that  the  house  in  which  he  was  bom  is 
still  visited  (as  a  place  of  sanctity).  He  died  a-  h. 
557  (a.  d.  1 162),  or  as  some  say  a.  h.  555,  in  the  town 
where  he  resided  (in  the  Hakkari  region).  He  was 
interred  in  the  monastery  that  he  had  erected.  His 
tomb  is  much  frequented,  being  considered  by  his 
followers  one  of  the  most  sacred  spots  to  which  a 
pilgrimage  can  be  made.  His  descendants  continue  to 
wear  the  same  distinctive  attire  as  he  did  and  to  walk 
in  his  footsteps.  The  confidence  placed  in  their 
merits  is  equal  to  that  formerly  shown  to  their  ances- 
tor, and  like  him  they  are  treated  with  profound 
respect.  Abu  Ibarakat  ibn  Al-Mustawfi  notices  the 
Seih  *Adi  in  his  history  of  Arbela,  and  places  him  in 
the  list  of  those  persons  who  visited  that  city. 
Muzaffar  Ad-Din,  the  sovereign  of  Arbela,  said  that 
when  a  boy  he  saw  the  §eih  *Adi  at  Mosul.  According 
to  him,  he  was  a  man  of  medium  size  and  tawny  com- 
plexion ;  he  related  also  many  circumstances  indicative 
of  his  great  sanctity.  The  seih  died  at  the  age  of 
ninety  years."^^ 

2  What  Mohammed-Amin-Al-'Omari  has  to  say 
on  Seih  *Adi: 

"They  say  that  the  §eih  'Adi  was  one  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Ba'albek;  that  he  transported  himself 
to  Mosul,  and  from  thence  to  Jabal  Las,  a  dependency 
of  this  city  (Mosul),  where  he  resided  until  his  death. 
They  also  say  that  he  was  from  Hawran,  and  that  his 
lineage  goes  back  as  far  as  Marwan  bn  al-Hakam,  also 
that  he  is  Saraf  ad  Din  Abou'l  Fadail  'Adi  bn  Masafir 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     113 

bn  Isma'il  bn  Mousa  bn  Marwan  bn  al  Hasan  bn 
Marwan  bn  Mohammed  bn  Marwan  bn  al  Hakam, 
who  died  in  the  ear  558.  His  grave,  which  is  well 
known,  is  the  object  of  pious  pilgrimages." 

"God  tried  him  by  a  calamity,  to  wit,  the  appear- 
ance of  a  sect  of  apostates,  called  the  Yezidis,  because 
they  claim  to  be  descended  from  Yezid.  They  adore 
the  sun  and  render  worship  to  the  devil.  The  follow- 
ing are  some  of  the  precepts  of  their  faith  that  I  found 
in  a  small  tract  made  by  one  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Aleppo,  who  knows  their  religion: 

I.  Adultery  becomes  lawful  when  committed  by 
(mutual)  consent. 

n.  They  pretend  that  when  the  day  of  judgment 
comes,  the  seih  *Adi  will  put  them  into  a  wooden 
basin  which  he  will  place  on  his  head  in  order  to  cause 
them  to  enter  into  Paradise  while  uttering  these  con- 
temptuous words:  *I  do  this  (or,  I  make  them  do 
this)  by  compelling  God  or  in  spite  of  him.' 

HI.  The  visit  which  they  pay  to  the  tomb  of  Seih 
*Adi  is  for  them  a  pilgrimage  which  the  devotees 
accomplished  no  matter  how  far  distant  the  country  is 
that  they  inhabit,  and  without  being  concerned  about 
the  expenses  that  the  journey  carries  with  it."^® 

3  What  Yasin  Al-Hatib-al-Omari-Al-Mausili  has 
to  say  on  Seih  'Adi: 

*Tn  this  year  557  died  the  saint  and  the  pious 
devotee  'Adi  bn  Musafir,  who  performed  miracles. 
His  death  took  place  in  the  city  Hakkariya,  one  of  the 
dependencies  of  Mosul.    His  origin  is  from  Ba'albek, 


114  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

which  he  left  in  order  to  come  to  Mosul,  that  he  might 
consecrate  himself  to  God.  He  passed  a  solitary  life 
on  the  mountains  and  in  caverns  where  lions  and 
other  wild  beasts  visited  him  often." 

"It  is  said  that  he  was  descended  from  the  family 
of  Omayyids,  and  this  is  the  lineage  which  he 
attributed  to  himself:  'Adi  bn  Musafir  bn  Isma'il  bn 
Mousa  bn  Marwan  bn  al-Hasan  bn  Marwan  bn  al- 
Hakam  bn  Al-*Ass  bn  Omayya." 

"He  was  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  the  divine  law. 
God  tried  him  by  a  calamity  by  raising  the  Yezidis, 
who  pretended  that  this  seih  is  God,  and  who  have 
made  his  tomb  the  object  of  their  pilgrimage.  They 
arrive  there  every  year  at  the  sound  of  drums  in  order 
to  give  themselves  to  games  and  debauchery." 

"The  Christians  of  the  land,  and  especially  the 
partisans  of  the  Nestorians  are  far  from  having  the 
same  opinion  of  the  §eih  *Adi  as  have  the  Moslems 
or  the  Yezidis.  The  following  passage  which  one  reads 
in  a  Chaldean  manuscript  entitled 'Awarda'^^  and  which 
I  saw  some  time  ago  in  the  Church  of  Karmalis,*° 
proves  this  sufficiently.  This  is  the  translation  of  the 
passage  which  I  have  extracted  from  a  song  composed 
by  a  bishop  of  Arbil,  in  honor  of  Rabban  Hormuzd*^ 
and  other  saints,  and  in  which  the  author  makes  men- 
tion of  *Adi  in  these  terms: 

"  'Great  misfortunes  have  followed,  falling  upon 
us ;  a  formidable  enemy  came  to  torment  us.  He  was 
a  descendant  of  Hagar,  the  slave  of  our  mother.  This 
enemy  who  made  our  life  unfortunate  was  a  Moham- 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      115 

medan,  called  'Adi.  He  deceived  us  by  vile  tricks, 
and  has  finished  by  taking  possession  of  our  riches 
and  of  our  convent,  which  he  consecrated  to  things 
that  are  illicit  (to  have  a  strange  worship).  An 
innumerable  multitude  of  Mussulmen  have  attached 
themselves  to  him  and  have  vowed  to  him  a  blind 
submission.  The  renown  of  his  name,  which  is  Seih 
*Adi,  has  spread  down  to  our  days  in  all  the  cities  of 
all  the  countries.'"*^ 

These  are  the  accounts  which  we  have  of  Seih  'Adi 
in  his  relation  to  the  Yezidis,  and  they  deserve  our 
special  attention.  For  not  only  are  the  writers  scholars 
of  the  highest  authority,  but  they  are  to  a  certain 
extent  eye-witness  authorities.  The  last  two  are  from 
the  city  of  Mosul,  which  is  the  only  city  in  the  Mo- 
hammedan world  whose  widely  spreading  scholarship 
has  acquired  for  it  the  name  "Dar-al-*Ulum,"  i.  e., 
the  home  of  sciences.  Moreover,  they  come  from  a 
family  whose  members  are  known  as  'Olama,  highly 
intellectual,  broad-minded  Mohammedan  gentlemen. 
While  at  Mosul,  I  had  the  honor  of  calling  often  on 
Hasan.  Efendi  al  'Omari,  and  especially  on  Suleiman 
Efendi  al  Omari.  Ibn  Hallikan  as  a  trustworthy 
biographer  needs  no  further  introduction  than  the 
mere  mentioning  of  his  name.  What  adds  to  his  repu- 
tation as  a  scholar  is  the  fact  that,  being  a  resident  of 
Arbila  in  the  province  of  Mosul,  he  had  at  his  com- 
mand firsthand  information. 

Another  noteworthy  fact  is  that  all  three  of  these 
scholars  agree  in  their  account  of  Seih  'Adi,  in  their 


ii6  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

tracing  of  his  genealog>',  in  describing  him  as  the  most 
perfect  model  of  hermits,  in  praising  him  for  his 
manner  of  Hfe,  which  they  regard  as  a  Hfe  of  hohness. 
They  agree  also  in  their  definition  of  the  common 
people's  attitude  toward  the  Seih:  that  he  was  deified 
and  that  his  tomb  has  been  made  the  object  of  pil- 
grimage. And  finally  they  are  silent  about  his  sup- 
posed founding  of  the  sect  in  question.  There  is  no 
intimation  that  he  was  a  heretic,  or  that  he  established 
such  a  schism.  To  be  sure,  Ibn  Hallikan  makes  men- 
tion  of  a  religious  order  which  was  called  after  the 
Seih's  name,  but  he  designates  them  as  'Adawia  and 
not  as  Yezidis.  This  might  have  been  such  an  order 
as  the  Brotherhood  of  Assanusi,  called  after 
Mohammed  ibn  *Ali  as-Sanusi,  or  as  many  other 
orders  of  dervishes  and  seihs  of  mystical  type,  that 
have  taken  rise  from  time  to  time  in  the  religious 
history  of  Islam.  The  other  two  speak  of  the  appear- 
ance of  the  Yezidis,  but  they  look  at  the  incident  as 
a  calamity  to  the  seih  because  they  deified  him  and 
worshipped  at  his  tomb.  Their  remarks  tend  to  show 
that  the  Yezidi  sect  were  known  as  such  before  the 
time  of  *Adi ;  that  their  appellation  was  based  on  the 
pretension  that  they  were  descendants  of  Yesid;  that 
they  were  apostates  from  Islam;  that  they  were  some 
of  those  who  weer  attached  to  'Adi  by  reason  of  his 
wide  reputation  as  a  saint,  and  were  led  by  their 
ignorance  to  take  him  for  a  god;  and  that  they  were 
worshippers  of  the  sun  and  the  devil.  It  is  incon- 
ceivable to  us,  if  we  apply  the  principles  of  modern 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      117 

criticism  to  what  we  know  of  the  character  of  the 
Mohammedan  historians,  that  they  should  write  the 
life  of  one  who  is  responsible  for  the  rise  of  a  sect, 
the  foundation  of  whose  religion  is  the  devil,  and  not 
curse  him  and  the  devil  with  him  a  hundred  million 
times. 

Such  are  the  theories  that  have  been  advanced  in 
the  discussion  relating  to  the  religious  origin  of  the 
Yezidi  sect,  and  we  have  found  not  only  that  they  are 
far  from  reaching  the  solution  of  the  problem,  but 
also  that  the  method  that  they  employ  does  not  seem 
to  be  the  proper  one  for  solving  such  a  question.  The 
tradition  of  the  Yezidis  that  they  are  descended  from 
Yezid  bn  Mu'Awiya  which  has  been  accepted  as  the 
fact  by  some  western  scholars  is  only  a  myth,  without 
historical  justification.  As  to  the  Christian  tradition, 
all  that  can  tell  us  is  that  some  Yezidis  might  have 
been  at  one  time  Christians ;  but  as  to  who  was  the 
founder  of  the  sect  it  gives  us  no  light.  Likewise,  all 
that  we  can  learn  from  the  theory  advocated  by  the 
second  school  is  that  some  phases  of  the  Persian  reli- 
gion might  have  survived  with  that  of  the  devil- 
worshippers.  We  may  admit,  I  think,  that  some 
Yezidis  are  Persian  in  their  origin.  But  as  to  who 
was  the  originator  of  their  religion  this  theory  helps 
us  not  a  whit.  So  also  we  have  found  that  the  relation 
of  §eih  'Adi  to  this  sect  is  not  that  of  a  founder.  He 
is  only  one  of  many  whom  their  ignorance  led  to  class 
as  deities. 


ii8  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

IV 

The  Dogmatic  View  of  Mohammedan   Scholars 

While  the  Yezidi  myth  regards  the  sect  as  descend- 
ants of  Adam,  of  Yezid  bn  Mu  awiya,  or  of  a  colony 
from  the  north,  while  the  Christian  tradition  of  the 
East  traces  them  to  a  Christian  origin,  while  among 
the  western  orientalists  some  say  that  they  were 
founded  by  Yezid  bn  Mu  awiya,  others  that  they 
are  of  Persian  origin,  etc.,  the  Mohammedan  dog- 
matics, on  the  other  hand,  assert  that  they  are 
Murtaddoon,  that  is,  apostates  from  Islam.  To  under- 
stand the  significance  of  this  term,  I  must  mention 
the  several  words  used  for  those  who  are  considered 
as  infidels  according  to  Mohammedan  theology. 
Kafir  is  one  who  hides  or  denies  the  truth;  Mushrik 
is  one  who  ascribes  companions  to  God;  Mulhid  is 
one  who  has  deviated  from  the  truth;  Zandik  is  one 
who  asserts  his  belief  in  the  doctrine  of  dualism; 
Munafik  is  one  who  secretly  disbelieves  in  the  mis- 
sion of  Mohammed;  Dahri  is  an  atheist;  Watani  is  a 
pagan  or  idolator;  and  finally  Murtadd  is  one  who 
apostasizes  from  Isalm.  The  Yezidis  are  put  in  the 
category  of  those  who,  after  once  accepting  the  reli- 
gion of  Islam,  later  rejected  it. 

One  author,  of  those  to  whose  writings  I  had  access, 
in  an  explicit  statement  regards  these  people  as 
apostates.  I  refer  to  Amin-al-*Omari-al  Mausili  (of 
Mosul).    After  praising  Seih  'Adi,  the  Mosulian  goes 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     119 

on  to  say,  "God  tried  him  (i.  e.^  'Adi)  by  a  calamity, 
to  wit,  the  appearance  of  Al-Murtaddoon,  called  the 
Yezidis  because  they  pretended  to  have  been  de- 
scended from  Yezid.''^  Another  Mohammedan 
scholar  that  mentions  these  people  is  Yasin  Al-Hatib- 
al-*Omari-al  Mausili.  Writing  on  Seih  'Adi,  and 
praising  him  as  the  former  writer  does,  he  says,  "He 
was  versed  in  the  knowledge  of  the  divine  law.  God 
tried  him  by  a  calamity  by  raising  up  the  Yezidis,  who 
pretend  that  this  Seih  is  God,  and  who  have  made 
his  tomb  the  object  of  their  pilgrimage.** 

While  these  authors  throw  some  light  on  the  subject 
that  the  sect  in  question  derives  its  appellation  from 
a  historic  person,  they  leave  us  entirely  in  the  dark 
as  to  who  that  person  was,  as  the  Arab  historians 
mention  many  prominent  men  who  bore  the  name 
Yezid. 

This  obscurity  regarding  the  person  of  the  founder 
of  the  sect  is  made  clear  by  one  whose  work  is 
equally,  if  not  more,  authoritative  than  that  of  any 
other  Mohammedan  scholar  on  matters  pertaining  to 
religious  and  philosophical  sects.  This  authority  is 
Mohammed  As-§ahrastani.  He  is  the  only  Moham- 
medan writer  that  I  could  reach  that,  in  a  clear 
language,  traces  this  most  interesting  sect  to  its 
founder. 

"The  Yezidis  are  the  followers  of  Yezid  bn  Unaisa, 
who  [said  that  he]  kept  friendship  with  the  first 
Muhakkama  before  the  Azarika,  and  he  separated 
himself  from  those  who  followed  after  them  with  the 


120  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

exception  of  Al-Abadia,  for  with  these  he  kept  friend- 
ship. He  believed  that  God  would  send  an  apostle 
from  among  the  Persians  and  would  reveal  to  him  a 
book  that  is  already  written  in  heaven,  and  would 
reveal  the  whole  (book)  to  him  at  one  time,*'^  and  as 
a  result  he  would  leave  the  law  of  Mohammed,  the 
Chosen  One,  may  God  bless  and  save  him! — and 
follow  the  religion  of  the  Sabians  mentioned  in  the 
Koran.  But  these  are  not  the  Sabians  who  are  found 
in  Haran  and  Wasit.  But  Yezid  kept  friendship  with 
the  people  of  the  book  who  recognized  the  Chosen 
One  as  a  prophet,  even  though  they  did  not  accept 
his  (Mohammed's)  religion.  And  he  said  that  the 
followers  of  the  ordinances  are  among  those  who 
agree  with  him ;  but  that  others  are  hiding  the  truth 
and  give  companions  to  god  and  that  every  sin,  small 
or  great,  is  idolatry.*® 

It  is  clear,  then,  that  As-§ahrastani  finds  the  reli- 
gious origin  of  this  interesting  people  in  the  person  of 
Yezid  bn  Unaisa.    He  calls  them  his  Asehah,  i.  e.,  his 

« 

followers,  a  term  by  which  he  designates  the  relation 
between  a  sect  and  its  originator.  Al-Haratiyah 
he  describes  as  "Asehab  al-Haret,"  and  "Al  Hafeziyah 
Asehab  Hafez,"  and  so  on.  We  are  to  understand, 
therefore,  that  to  the  knowledge  of  the  writer,  bn 
Unaisa  is  the  founder  of  the  Yezidi  sect,  which  took 
its  name  from  him. 

Mohammed  As-§ahrastani  states  also,  in  a  logical 
way,  the  theological  views  of  the  head  of  the  Yezidis. 
Yezid,  he  says,  is  on  the  positive  side,  in  sympathy 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      121 

with  the  first  Muhakkamah  before  the  Azarika.  Now, 
the  first  Muhakkamah  is  an  appellative  applied  to  the 
Muslim  schismatics  called  Al-Hawarij,  because  they 
disallowed  the  judgment  of  the  Hakaman,  i.  e.,  the 
two  judges,  namely  *Abd  Mousa  al-As-*Aree  and  Am 
ibn-al-'As;  and  said  that  judgment  belongs  only  to 
God.  And  Al-Azarika  were  a  heretical  Muslim  sect 
called  Al-Hawarij  or  Heroriyah,  so  named  in  rela- 
tion to  Nafi'  ibn-Al-Azrak.  They  asserted  that  *Ali 
committed  an  act  of  infidelity  by  submitting  his  case 
to  arbitration,  and  that  the  slaying  of  him  by  Ibn 
Muljama  was  just;  and  they  declare  that  the  com- 
panions (of  the  Prophet)  were  guilty  of  infidelity. 
Yezid  moreover,  is  said  to  have  been  in  sympathy  with 
Al-Abadiyah,  a  sect  founded  by  *Abd-Allah  ibn  Ibad, 
who  taught  that  if  a  man  commits  a  kabirah  or  great 
sin  he  is  an  infidel  and  not  a  believer. 

It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  according  to  this  ex- 
position the  Yezid  in  question  was  one  of  Al-Hawarij, 
and  their  principle  is  expressly  attributed  to  him: 
every  sin,  small  or  great,  is  idolatry.  According  to 
this  it  might  be  inferred  that  the  Yezidis  were  orig- 
inally a  Harijite  sub-sect.  They  still  hold  to  the 
Harijite  principle.  (Cf.  their  position  to  the  Otto- 
man Government,  pp.  71-74).  As  we  said  some 
Mohammedan  writers  other  than  Ashahr-Astani  also 
(pp.  118-119)  regard  them  as  apostate  Moslems,  As- 
Sahrastani  himself  classes  them  with  the  Moslem 
heretics.  Now  Al-Hawarij  were  the  first  to  rebel 
against  'Ali  at  Haroora,  a  certain  suburb  of  Al-Koofa, 


122  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

from  which  it  is  distant  two  miles.  They  are  called 
also  Al-Heroriyah,  because  they  first  assembled  there 
and  accepted  the  doctrine  that  government  belongs 
only  to  God.  And  one  sect  of  Al-Hawarij  was  An- 
Nasibiyah  who  made  it  a  matter  of  religious  obliga- 
tion to  bear  a  violent  hatred  to  *Ali.  Such  is.  the  place 
of  bn  Unaisa  among  the  Moslem  heretics,  but  this  is 
only  one  side  of  his  religious  system."*^ 

There  is  another  side  to  Yezid's  doctrine.  He  held 
that  God  would  send  an  apostle  from  Persia,  to  whom 
he  would  reveal  a  book  already  written  in  heaven. 
This  apostle  was  to  be  an  opponent  of  the  prophet 
of  Islam  in  that  he  would  leave  Mohammed's  religion 

and    follow    that   of    the    Sabians   mentioned    in   the 

• 

Koran.  These  are  referred  to  by  Mohammed,  together 
with  the  Christians  and  the  Jews,  in  three  different 
places  in  the  Book.  One  such  reference  is  in  Surah 
2,  59:  "They  who  believe  as  well  as  Jews,  Christians 
and  Sabeans,  whoever  believeth  in  God  and  in  the 
Last  Day,  and  do  that  which  is  right,  shall  have  their 
reward  with  their  Lord." 

Surah  5,  73,  also: 

"They  who  believe  as  well  as  Jews,  Christians  and 
Sabeans,  whoever  of  them  believe  in  God  and  the  Last 
Day,  and  do  what  is  right,  on  them  shall  no  fear  come ; 
neither  shall  they  be  put  to  grief." 

And  Surah  22,  17: 

"They  who  believe  as  well  as  Jews,  Sabeans  and 
Christians  and  the  Magians,  and  those  who  join  gods 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ    123 

with  God,  verily  God  shall  decide  between  them  on 
the  Day  of  Resurrection." 

In  these  passages  Mohammed  seems  to  regard  the 
Sabians  of  the  Koran  as  believers  in  the  true  God  and 
in  the  resurrection.     And  in  Surah  22,  17,  he  seems 
to   distinguish  them   from   Magians   and   polytheists. 
Hence,  we  are  to  infer  that  the  Apostle  of  whom 
Yezid  bn  Unaisa  says  that  he  will  come  from  the  land 
of  the  'Ajam   (Persian),  will  identify  himself  with 
the  religion  of  the  .Sabians.    This  implies  that  he  will 
believe  in  the  true  God  and  in  the  Day  of  Resurrec- 
tion.   But  from  some  Arab  writers  we  learn  more  of 
these  .Sabian  beliefs  than  the  Prophet  of  Islam  has 
mentioned.     According  to  some  the  Sabians  were  a 
sect  of  unbelievers  who  worshipped  the  stars  secretly, 
and  openly  professed  to  be  Christians.    According  to 
others,  they  were  of  the  religion  of  Sabi,  the  son  of 
Seth,    the    son    of    Adam;    while    others    said   they 
resembled  the  Christians,  except  that  their  hxblah  was 
toward  the  South,  from  whence  the  wind  blows.     In 
the  Kamiis  it  is  said  that  they  were  of  the  religion  of 
Noah.     Al-Baidawi  says  that  some  assert  that  they 
were  worshippers  of  angels,  and  that  others  say  that 
they  are  the  worshippers  of  stars.     Al-Bertuni*^  calls 
the     Manichaeans     of     Samarkand     Sabians.       Bar 
Hebraeus^®  asserts  that  the  religion  of  the  Sabians  is 
the  same  as  that  of  the  ancient  Chaldeans.    In  com- 
menting on  Surah  2,  59,  Zamahsari  (Al-Kessaf)  says 
that  the  name  Sabian  comes  from  a  root  meaning  one 


124  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

who  has  departed  from  one  religion  to  another  reli- 
gion, and  that  the  Sabians  were  those  who  departed 
from  Judaism  and  Christianity  and  worshipped 
angels.  On  this  same  verse,  §ams  Ad-Din  Mohammed 
Al-Harrani  (Jami  Al-Bijan  fi  Tafsir  Al-Koran)  says: 
"The  Sabians,  i.  e.,  those  who  departed  from  one  reli- 
gion to  another  religion,  stood  between  the  Magians 
and  the  Jews  and  the  Christians  without  having  any 
revealed  religion  of  their  own.  According  to  some 
they  were  people  of  the  Book;  according  to  others 
they  were  worshippers  of  angels ;  while  others 
say,  they  believed  in  one  God  but  followed  no 
Prophet."  This  same  commentator  on  Surah  5,  73, 
says:  "The  Sabians  were  a  Christian  sect;  some  say 
that  they  were  worshippers  of  angels ;  others  assert 
that  they  worshipped  God  alone,  but  had  no  revealed 
religion."  On  this  same  verse  Zamahsari  remarks, 
"The  Sabians  were  those  who  departed  from  all  reli- 
gions." 

Now  what  Mohammed  As-§ahrastani  really  means 
by  the  Sabians  of  the  Koran,  I  am  unable  to  state.  In 
his  general  discussion  of  Sabianism  however  (vol.  2, 
pp.  201-250),  he  seems  to  speak  of  two  main  Sabian 
sects.  He  refers  to  one  together  with  the  ancient 
philosophers ;  and  declares  that  the  Sabians  followed 
rational  ordinances  and  judgments  which  originally 
they  may  have  derived  from  some  prophetic  authority, 
but  that  they  denied  all  prophecy.  The  philosophers 
followed  their  own  devices  and  took  their  system 
from  no  prophetic  source.    The  authority  we  are  quot- 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      125 

ing  calls  this  sect  **the  original  Sabian  sect,"  and  says 
that  it  followed  Seth  and  Enoch.  In  another  place 
(vol.  I,  p.  24)  he  writes,  "The  Jews  and  the  Chris- 
tians follow  a  revealed  Book;  the  Magians  and  the 
Manichseans,  a  like  Book;  the  original  Sabian  sect, 
ordinances  and  judgments,  but  accepts  no  Book;  the 
original  philosophers,  the  atheists,  the  star-worship- 
pers, the  idol-worshippers,  and  the  Brahmans  believe 
in  none  of  these." 

The  other  main  Sabian  sect  is  mentioned  together 
with  the  Jews,  the  Christians,  and  the  Moslems.  The 
difference  between  these  religious  bodies,  according  to 
As-Sahrastani,  is  that  "the  Sabians  do  not  follow  the 
Law  (of  God)  or  Islam;  the  Christians  and  the  Jews 
believe  in  these,  but  do  not  accept  the  Law  (religion) 
of  Mohammed;  while  the  Moslems  believe  in  them  all. 

As-Sahrastani,  moreover,  derives  the  name  Sabian 
(p.  203)  from  a  root  meaning  one  who  turns  aside, 
deviates;  and  declares  that  the  Sabians  were  those 
who  turned  aside  from  the  statutes  of  God),  and 
deviated  from  the  path  of  the  prophets.  He  seems 
to  regard  the  notion  that  man  is  incapable  of  approach- 
ing God,  and  that  therefore  he  is  in  constant  need  of 
intercessors  and  mediators,  as  a  controlling  idea  in 
Sabianism.  This  belief,  the  writer  points  out,  has 
manifested  itself  in  three  different  forms :  in  the 
veneration  of  angels  among  what  he  calls  the  follow- 
ers of  angels ;  the  adoration  of  stars  among  the  fol- 
lowers of  stars;  and  in  the  worship  of  idols  among 
the  followers  of  idols,  heathens  (pp.  203,  244).    The 


126  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

last  two,  we  are  told,  are  polytheists,  and  referred  to 
in  the  Koranic  statement: 

("When  Abraham  said  to  his  father,  Azar,  'Dost 
thou  take  idols  for  gods?' — Surah  6,  74.  Said  he — 
Abraham — *Do  ye  serve  what  ye  hew  out?' — Surah 
37»  93-  When  he — Abraham — said  to  his  father,  'Oh 
my  sir!  why  dost  thou  worship  what  can  neither  hear 
nor  see  nor  avail  thee  aught?' — Surah  19,  43.") 

And  in  the  following  references: 

("And  when  the  night  overshadowed  him  he  saw  a 
star  and  said,  'This  is  my  Lord.'  And  when  he  saw 
the  moon  beginning  to  rise  he  said,  'This  is  my  Lord/ 
And  when  he  saw  the  sun  beginning  to  rise  he  said, 
'This  is  my  Lord,  this  is  greatest  of  all.'  ") — Surah  6, 

76,  -jy,  78. 

But  Mohammed  As-§ahrastani  makes  mention  of 
another  Sabian  sect  which  he  names  Al-Harbaniyah 
(pp.  248-250).  Its  distinctive  feature,  he  says,  is  the 
belief  that  the  Creator  indwelleth  in  other  beings. 
They  held  that  God  is  one  in  his  essence,  but  many 
in  his  appearances.  He  dwells  in  the  seven  planets, 
and  in  the  earthly  beings  that  are  rational,  good,  and 
excellent  in  righteousness.  Human  body  is  his  temple ; 
he  may  abide  within  it  and  live  and  move  as  a  man. 
He  is  too  good,  we  read,  to  create  anything  evil.  God 
is  the  source  of  good,  and  evil  is  either  an  accidental 
and  necessary  thing,  or  related  to  the  evil  source. 
They  believed  also,  our  authority  informs  us,  in  the 
transmigration  of  souls,  and  taught  that  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  which  the  prophets  had  spoken  was  only  the 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      127 

end  of  one  generation  and  the  beginning  of  another 
here  on  earth.  This  doctrine,  the  Mohammedan 
critics  affirm,  is  alluded  to  in  the  passages : 

("Does  he  promise  you  that  when  ye  are  dead,  and 
have  become  dust  and  bones,  that  then  ye  will  be 
brought  forth?  Away,  away  with  what  ye  are  prom- 
ised,— there  is  only  our  life  in  the  world !  We  die  and 
we   live   and   we   shall   not   be   raised.") — Surah   23, 

37-39- 

Now  I  cannot  say  which  of  the  Sabian  sects  are 
those  that  "are  mentioned  in  the  Koran,"  which 
Yezid  bn  Unaisa  says,  the  Persian  Apostle  will  follow ; 
nor  can  I  say  which  are  those  that  "are  found  in 
Harran  and  Wasit."  One  thing,  however,  is  clear: 
according  to  As-Sahrastani  the  Sabians  of  the  Koran 
differ  in  their  faith  from  those  of  Harran.  The 
Harranians  were  remnants  of  the  old  heathen  of 
Mesopotamia;  they  were  polytheistic,  and  star- 
worship  had  the  chief  place  in  their  religion,  as  in  the 
worship  of  the  older  Babylonian  and  Syrian  faiths. 
They  were  regarded  as  such  by  the  Mohammedans,  so 
that  under  Al-Mamun,  they  sheltered  themselves 
under  the  name,  Sabians,  that  they  might  be  entitled 
to  the  toleration  which  the  Sabians  of  the  Koran  have 
because  they  were  considered  among  the  people  of 
the  Book.^*'  Another  thing  to  be  noticed  is  that  there 
is  a  close  resemblance  between  the  belief  of  the 
Sabian  sect  which  As-Sahrastani  calls  Al-Harbaniyah 
and  that  of  the  Yezidi  sect. 

Such  is,  in  the  main,  the  religion  of  the  Persian 


128  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Apostle  and  is  logically  the  religion  of  Yezid  bn 
Unaisa  which  announces  the  coming  of  such  a  mes- 
senger. We  may  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  founder 
of  the  Yezidi  sect  believed  in  God  and  in  the  Day  of 
Resurrection;  that  he,  perhaps,  honored  the  angels 
and  the  stars,  and  that  he  was  neither  polytheistic  nor 
a  true  believer  in  the  Prophet  of  Islam.  This  last 
point  is  referred  to  also  explicitly  in  the  statement 
quoted,  that  Yezid  associated  himself  with  those  of 
the  people  of  the  Book  who  recognized  Mohammed 
as  a  prophet  though  they  did  not  become  his  followers. 
This  is  the  negative  aspect,  so  to  speak,  of  bn  Unaisa*s 
religious  views.  He  is  also  said  to  have  claimed  that 
the  followers  of  the  ordinances'^  agreed  with  him. 
This  statement  tends  to  indicate  that  he  might  have 
accepted  some  phases  of  the  Muslim  faith.  And  the 
fact  that  he  belonged  to  Al-Hawarij  implies  that  he 
was  one  of  those  who  were  "condemning  and  rejecting 
*Ali  for  his  scandalous  crime  of  parleying  with  Mu- 
awiya,  the  first  of  the  Omayyid  line,  and  submitting 
his  claims  to  arbitration."  Such  are  in  brief  the 
fundamental  elements  in  the  religious  system  of  one 
who  may  be  held  responsible  for  the  rise  of  the  sect 
in  question. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  it  seems  to  me,  that  the 
Yezidis  are  the  followers  of  Yezid  bn  Unaisa.  The 
statement  of  our  authority,  Mohammed  As-Sahrastani 
(see  pp.  1 19-120),  is  so  clear  that  it  can  bear  no  other 
interpretation.  And  what  is  far  more  important,  it 
comes  from  the  pen  of  one  who  is  considered  of  the 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     129 

highest  authority  among  the  Arab  scholars  on  ques- 
tions relating  to  philosophical  and  religious  sects.    In 
his  bibliographical  work  Ibn  Hallikan  speaks  of  his 
profound    scholarship    in    the    highest    terms:     "As- 
Sahrastani,  a  dogmatic  theologian  of  the  'Asarite  sect, 
was  distinguished  as  an  Imam  and  a  doctor  of  the 
law.     He  displayed  the  highest  abilities  as   a  juris- 
consult.   The  Kitab  al-Milal  wa  n-Nihal  (treatise  on 
religions  and  sects)  is  one  of  his  works  on  scholastic 
theology.     He   remained   without   an   equal    in   that 
branch  of  science."     Now,  Mohammed  As-§ahrastani 
(a.  h.  467-549)  A.  D.  1074-1133  was  a  contemporary 
of  *Adi  (a.  h.  465-555)  A,  D.  1072-1162,  yet  he  makes 
no  allusion  to  him  when  he  refers  to  the  rise  of  this 
most  interesting  sect;  nor  does  he  make  mention  of 
any  other  supposed  founder  except  the  one  he  records. 
For  these  reasons  I  accept  the  historical  assertion  of 
this  distinguished  author. 

I  am  of  the  opinion,  therefore,  that  the  Yezidis 
received  their  name  from  Yezid  bn  Unaisa,  their 
founder  as  a  kharijite  sub  sect  in  the  early  period  of 
Islam;  that,  attracted  by  §eih  'Adi's  reputation,  they 
joined  his  movement  and  took  him  for  their  chief 
religious  teacher;  that  in  the  early  history  of  the  sect 
and  of  *Adi  many  Christians,  Persians,  and  Moslems 
united  with  it;  and  that  large  survivals  or  absorptions 
of  pagan  beliefs  or  customs  are  to  be  found  in  modem 
Yezidism.  In  other  words  the  actual  religion  of  the 
Yezidis  is  syncretism  in  which  it  is  easy  to  recognize 


I30  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Yezidi,    Christian,    Moslem,    especially    sufism    and 
pagan  elements. 

Like  the  master  they  believe  in  the  true  God  and 
in  the  Resurrection,  honor  the  angels  and  the  stars, 
disbelieve  in  the  mission  of  Mohammed  and  ignore 
'Ali,  regard  every  sin,  small  or  great,  as  idolatry  or 
infidelity,  and  expect  the  appearance  of  a  prophet 
from  Persia.  The  fact  of  their  connection  with  such 
a  religious  leader  explains  the  reason  why  they  are 
hated  by  both  the  Sunnites  and  the  Shiites.  The  fol- 
lowers of  bn  My'awiya  can  only  be  despised  by  the 
latter;  but  the  believer  such  a  heretical  one  as  the 
son  of  Unaisa  are  necessarily  condemned  by  the 
former  also.  For  he  was,  as  I  have  already  stated, 
anti-Mohammed  and  anti-'Ali.  And  it  is  worth 
remembering  also  that  the  fourth  Calif  is  more  hon- 
ored among  the  Moslems  of  Persia  than  his  son 
Husein  is;  and  consequently  any  contemptuous  atti- 
tude toward  the  father  will  give  rise  to  more  bitter 
feeling  on  the  part  of  his  followers  than  the  murder 
of  the  son  would  occasion. 

There  is  one  question,  however,  which  does  not 
appear  to  be  very  easy  to  answer;  namely,  how  the 
Yezidis  came  to  trace  their  origin  to  Yezid  bn  Mu- 
'awiya  and  not  to  Yezid  bn  Unaisa.  Three  explana- 
tions may  be  given.  One  is  that  their  ignorance  led 
them  to  mistake  the  former  for  the  latter,  as  they 
have  identified  many  of  their  seihs  with  angels  and 
deities.  Among  ignorant  people,  as  these  are,  with- 
out record  and  without  any  one  who  can  read,  the 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      131 

occasion  of  such  an  error  is  not  strange.  Another 
answer  is  that  they  intentionally  made  the  identifica- 
tion in  order  to  escape  the  persecution  of  the  Sun- 
nites,  among  whom  most  of  them  lived.  Though 
specious,  this  idea  is  not  tenable,  for  it  is  not  their 
habit  to  deny  their  origin  for  the  sake  of  safety. 
Even  in  that  case,  they  would  still  be  hated  by  the 
Shiites.  The  third  theory  is  that  they  have  a  notion 
that  they  are  descended  from  a  noble  personage,  and 
the  second  Calif  being  such  a  persoi.age,  their  igno- 
rance led  them  to  take  him  for  their  founder.  And 
the  identity  of  the  two  names,  of  course,  helped  much 
toward  the  formation  of  the  legend. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  that  the  religion  of  this  Yezid 
contained,  from  its  inception,  a  fundamental  doctrine 
which  appealed  to  the  pagans  of  Persia  more  than  it 
did  to  Al-jahaleen  of  Arabia.  In  its  very  structure 
it  insulted  the  latter  country  by  despising  its  prophet. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  expressed  its  sympathy  with  a 
prophet  from  Persia  and  with  his  religion.  This 
declaration  magnified  Persia  and  its  inhabitants  and 
gave  them  preeminence,  thereby  making  an  impression 
on  the  attitude  of  the  people  toward  Yezidism. 
Therefore  they  looked  on  it  not  as  a  foreign  but  as  a 
native  cult.  The  entertaining  of  such  a  view,  con- 
sequently, led  many  fire,  or  devil-worshippers  and 
the  followers  of  Zoroastrianism  to  embrace  the  new 
religion  (Al-masrik,  vol.  2,  p.  35).  And  if  the  pre- 
dicted teacher  arose,  we  can  imagine  the  great  success 
which    he    must   have    had    among   his    countrymen. 


132  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

This  fact  not  only  accounts  for  the  existence  of  traces 
of  old  Persian  religion,  but  it  gives  the  reason  why 
the  Kurdish  predominates  over  the  Arab  element  in 
Yezidism. 

The  new  sect  appears  to  have  existed  as  a  very 
loose  organization  after  the  death  of  its  founder:  this 
looseness  put  them  in  a  condition  to  follow  any  one 
who  would  exhibit  some  qualifications  for  leadership. 
Therefore,  when  they  heard  about  *Adi  they  naturally 
flocked  to  him.  And  it  is  very  likely  that,  entertaining 
the  idea  of  a  coming  prophet  as  they  still  do,  they 
might  have  thought  him  the  promised  one.  What 
might  have  added  to  the  confirmation  of  this  notion 
was  his  fame  as  a  saint,  to  whom  a  number  of 
miracles  were  attributed.  Even  the  lions  and  the 
serpents  which  lived  in  his  neighborhood  and  paid 
him  frequent  visits  were  endowed,  it  is  said,  with 
supernatural  sweetness. 

From  what  we  know  of  'Adi's  movement,  we  have 
sufficient  reason  to  conclude  that  many  Moslems  and 
Christians  followed  him.  The  historians  of  both 
faiths  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  'Adi's  reputation 
was  widespread,  and  that  people  of  every  condition 
followed  him  (see  pp.  111-115).  The  Nestorian  bishop 
of  Arbela,  whom  Yasin  Al-'Omari  quotes  (see  p.  114) 
asserts  that  innumerable  multitudes  flocked  to  him, 
deplores  the  situation  of  the  Christian  church  result- 
ing from  this  uprising,  and  complains  of  the  posses- 
sion by  the  Seih  of  a  monastery  belonging  to  his 
denomination.     Moreover,  as  has  been  shown,  there 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     133 

exist  among  the  Yezidis  certain  Moslem  and  Christian 
practices  which  cannot  be  accounted  for  on  any  other 
ground,  since,  so  far  as  we  know  their  character,  they 
make  no  compromise  in  matters  of  religion. 

Not  only  Yezidi,  Persian,  Moslem,  and  Christian 
elements  are  to  be  found  in  modern  Yezidism,  but 
there  are  many  remains  of  the  old  pagan  religions 
which  find  expression  in  the  devil-worshippers  of 
to-day.  Such  is  the  notion  of  the  sacredness  of  the 
number  seven,  an  idea  which  belongs  to  the  common 
stock  of  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  Mesopotamia. 
The  Yezidis  have  seven  sanjaks,  each  has  seven 
burners;  their  cosmogany  shows  that  God  created 
seven  angels  or  gods;  their  principal  prayer  is  the 
appeal  to  God  through  seven  seihs;  the  sceptre  en- 
graved on  the  front  of  the  temple  of  their  great  saint 
has  seven  branches.  This  reminds  us  at  once  of  the 
Sabians  who  adored  seven  gods  or  angels  who  directed 
the  course  of  seven  planets;  the  seven  days  of  the 
week  were  dedicated  to  their  respective  deities. 
Moreover,  we  note  in  the  Babylonian-Assyrian  poem, 
the  seven  gates  through  which  Istar  descended  to  the 
land  without  return.  Likewise,  the  number  seven 
played  an  important  part  in  the  religious  system  of 
Israel. 

Further,  like  the  Harranians,  the  modern  Satan- 
parast  worship  the  sun  and  the  moon  at  their  rising 
and  setting.  The  sun  was  worshipped  also  in  Canaan, 
I  Sam.  6:  9.  The  horses  of  the  sun  were  worshipped 
in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  II  Kings  25:  5,  11.    The 


134  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

worship  of  the  host  of  heaven  (the  sun,  the  moon,  the 
planets),  were  found  in  Judea.  In  Babylon,  there 
were  at  least  two  shrines  to  sun-god  Samas,  one  at 
Sippar,  and  ther  other  at  Larsa. 

Other  survivals  of  the  ancient  religions  found  in 
Yezidism  are  the  worship  of  birds  (see  p.  150)  ;  the 
special  importance  attached  to  the  New  Year  because 
of  its  bearing  on  individual  welfare  by  reason  of  the 
good  or  evil  decision  of  the  gods  rendered  them  (see 
pp.  46,  174)  ;  and  the  belief  in  occurrences  of  nuptials 
in  the  heavens  (see  p.  174). 

Moreover,  many  religious  beliefs  of  the  Pre-Islamic 
Arabs  survive  among  the  modern  Yezidis.  Such  is 
the  belief  in  sacred  wells  in  connection  with  sanctu- 
aries found  in  all  parts  of  the  Semitic  region,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  which  is  that  of  Mecca.  Gifts  were 
cast  into  this  holy  water  of  Zamzam,  as  they  were 
cast  into  the  sacred  wells  of  other  places.  When  the 
grandfather  of  Mohammed  *Abd  Al-Muttalib  cleaned 
out  the  well,  he  found  two  golden  gazelles  and  a 
number  of  swords.  The  water  of  such  holy  springs 
was  believed  to  possess  healing  power,  and  was  carried 
home  by  pilgrims,  as  the  water  of  Zamzam  now  is 
(Yakut  I,  434).^^  An  impure  person,  furthermore, 
dared  not  approach  the  sacred  waters.  A  woman  in 
her  uncleanness  was  afraid  for  her  children's  sake  to 
bathe  in  the  holy  water  at  the  sanctuary  of  Dusares. 
According  to  Ibn  Hisam  "A  woman  who  adopts 
Islam  breaks  with  the  heathen  god  by  purifying  her- 
self in  this  pool."    This  was  taken  to  mean  that  her 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     135 

act  was  a  breach  of  the  ritual  of  the  spot.  And  all 
the  pilgrims  changed  their  clothes  when  they  entered 
the  sacred  precinct. °^ 

Another  common  heathen  practice  in  the  time  of 
Al-jahliya  was  the  worship  of  holy  trees.  According 
to  Tabari  there  was  a  date-palm  tree  at  Nejran.  It 
was  adored  at  an  annual  feast,  when  it  was  hung  all 
around  with  fine  clothes  and  women's  ornaments.  A 
similar  tree  to  which  the  peop'e  of  Mecca  resorted 
annually,  and  hung  upon  it  weapons,  garments, 
ostriches'  eggs,  and  other  things,  is  spoken  of  in  the 
tradition  of  the  prophet  under  the  name  of  "dhat 
anwat,"  or  "tree  to  hang  things  on."'*  The  Goddess 
Al-'Ozza  was  believed  to  reside  in  a  tree.  According 
to  Yakut  (III,  261),  the  tree  at  Hadaibiya,  men- 
tioned in  the  Koran  (sura  XLVIII,  18)  was  visited 
by  pilgrims  who  expected  to  derive  a  blessing  from  it, 
till  it  was  cut  down  by  the  Calif  Omar  lest  it  should  be 
worshipped  like  Al-Lat  and  Al-'Ozza.  It  was  con- 
sidered deadly   to   pluck   a   twig   from   such   sacred 

trees. 

The  prevalence  of  stone-worship  is  another  sign  of 
paganism  existing  before  Islam,  and  noteworthy  is  the 
theory  advanced  by  the  Mohammedan  writers  to 
account  for  its  origin.  According  to  Ibn  Hisam"  the 
beginning  of  this  idolatry  was  that  ''the  Meccans 
when  their  land  became  too  narrow  for  them  spread 
abroad  over  the  country,  and  all  took  stones  from  their 
sanctuary,  the  Kaaba,  out  of  reverence  for  their 
temple,  and  they  set  them  up  whenever  they  formed 


136  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

a  settlement;  and  they  walked  around  them  as  they 
used  to  go  about  the  Holy  House.  This  led  them  at 
last  to  worship  every  stone  that  pleased  their  fancy." 

It  is  to  be  noticed,  furthermore,  that  poly-demonism, 
i.  e.,  the  belief  in  divine  powers,  in  spirits,  is  the  most 
characteristic  feature  of  the  old  nomad  religions. 
Many  traces  of  this  belief  have  been  preserved  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  also  in  the  popular  religion  of 
the  Syria  and  Palestine  of  to-day.  There  are  many 
instances  in  the  Old  Testament  of  the  belief  in  divine 
powers  inhabiting  springs,  trees,  stones.  We  may 
refer  to  the  sacred  wells  at  Kades  (Gen.  14:  7)  and 
at  Beerseba  (Gen.  21,  28,  30,  31);  to  the  sacred 
oracular  tree  at  Shekem  (Gen.  12,  6;  Deut.  11,  3); 
to  the  sacred  stone  of  Bethel,  which  gave  the  place 
its  name,  as  it  is  called  "a  house  of  God"  (Gen.  28, 
22)." 

Now,  the  traces  of  all  these  religious  beliefs  are 
found  in  modem  Yezidism.  In  connection  with  the 
temple  of  Seih  *Adi,  there  is  a  sacred  spring,  and 
there  are  similar  ones  in  different  parts  of  the  Yezidi 
districts.  The  water  of  these  springs  is  held  to  have 
healing  power,  and  is  carried  by  pilgrims  to  their 
homes.  In  these  pools,  especially  in  that  of  'Adi's, 
the  Yezidis  cast  coins,  jewelry,  and  other  presents, 
which,  they  think,  the  chief  saint  takes  from  time  to 
time;  and  to  this  day  no  one  may  enter  the  holy 
valley  with  its  sacred  fountain,  unless  he  first  purify 
his  body  and  clothes.'^  The  devil- worshippers  adore, 
likewise,   sacred  trees.     They  make  pilgrimages   to 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     137 

them,  hang  things  on  them,  and  entertain  the  belief 
that  whoever  unties  or  shakes  off  a  shred  of  cloth 
will  be  afflicted  with  disease.  Again,  the  Yezidis  kiss 
the  stones  that  satisfy  their  imagination,  and  make 
vows  to  them  (see  pp.  41,  50).  Nor  is  this  all.  The 
shouting  of  the  Yezidi  pilgrims,  as  they  reach  the 
sacred  territory,  and  the  noisy  ceremony  of  their  hajj, 
with  its  dancing^^  and  its  excitement — a  rite  which 
has  brought  against  them  all  sorts  of  accusations'® 
— are  nothing  but  the  remnants  of  Pre- Islamic 
paganism."® 

Such,  then,  are  the  steps  which  the  religion  of 
Yezid  took  before  it  came  to  shape  itself  into  its 
present  form.  It  is  made  up  of  five  different  ele- 
ments, pagan,  that  contributed  by  the  founder, 
Persian,  Mohammedan,  and  Christian.  Does  not 
such  a  state  of  affairs  find  a  historical  parallel  in 
some  other  religions?  Take,  for  example,  Chris- 
tianity. In  it  we  find  that  the  distinctive  characteris- 
tics of  the  founder  have  been  wrapped  up  in  many 
foreign  elements  brought  in  by  those  who  came  from 
other  religions. 


NOTES  ON  CHAPTER  I 

^  This  may  be  traced  to  the  Mohammedan  myth  that 
when  the  primal  pair  fell  from  their  estate  of  bliss  in 
the  heavenly  Paradise,  Adam  landed  on  a  mountain 
in  Ceylon  and  Eve  fell  at  Jiddah,  on  the  western  coast 
of  Arabia.  After  a  hundred  years  of  wandering,  they 
met  near  Meccah,  and  here  Allah  constructed  for  them 
a  tabernacle,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Kaaba,  S.  M. 
Zwemer,  Arabia,  p.  17;  As-§ahrastani,  II,  430. 

^  Anistase :  Al-Masrik,  vol.  2,  p.  33. 

'  Cf.  p.  35. 

*  Cf.  p.  34. 

"  Cf .  p.  37. 

^Al-Masrik,  vol.  2,  p.  33. 

^  Scottish  Geog.  Mag.,  vol.  14,  p.  295. 

*Layard:  Nineveh  and  Its  Remains,  vol.  11,  p.  254. 

®  Layard :  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  p.  94. 

^°  S.  G.  M.,  vol.  14,  p.  300. 

^^  Eraser :  Mesopotamia  and  Persia,  p.  287. 

^^  Eraser:  Ibid,  p.  147. 

^^  Rich :  Residence  in  Kurdistan,  vol.  II,  p.  69. 

^*  Al-Masrik,  vol.  II,  p.  396. 

"  Ibid,  vol.  Ill,  p.  493. 

^^  Eraser:  Ibid;  Rich,  ibid. 

^^  Badger :  Nestorians  and  Their  Rituals,  vol.  I, 
p.  Ill  ;  Eraser,  ibid,  p.  285. 

^^  Al-Masrik,  ibid,  p.  36. 

'Abdisu  was  at  one  time  bishop  of  Sinjar;  cf. 
Eardaisa  de  'Eden,  ed.  by  B.  Cardahi,  Beirut,  1889, 

p.  5- 

^^Ibid,  pp.  56,  110,832. 

138 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      139 

^°  Ibid.  This  rite  is  practiced  by  the  Yezidis 
of  Halitiyeh,  a  dependency  of  Darbeker,  where  the 
Yezidis  are  few  in  number. 

^^  Southgate :  A  Tour  Through  Armenia,  etc.,  vol. 
II,  p.  179. 

^2  See  p.  42  of  this  bock.     Badger,  ibid,  p.  128. 

^^  I  mean  by  the  philosophical  method  the  attempt 
to  prove  certain  assumption  by  theorizing,  and  by  the 
historical  method  the  endeavor  to  verify  a  theory  by 
obtaining  data  from  historical  sources.  The  former 
method  is  based  on  speculation ;  the  latter  on  historical 
inquiry. 

"  The  Enc.  of  Mission,  p.  797.  In  his  letter  to  me 
of  date  August  6,  1907,  the  Rev.  A.  N.  Andrus,  of 
Mardin,  says :  "The  Yezidis  may  be  related  in  religious 
cult  with  the  Guebres  of  India." 

^^  Muir:  Life  of  Mohammed,  vol.  IV,  p.  151. 

^®  Eraser:  ibid,  p.  205. 

*^  Badger,  ibid,  p.  129. 

2«  S.  G.  M.,  vol.  14. 

2^  Eugene  Bore :  Diet,  des  Religions,  T.  IV,  Art. 
Yezidis,  Southgate,  ibid,  p.  317. 

^°  Eraser,  ibid,  p.  289. 

^^  Jackson :  Persia,  Past  and  Present,  p.  10 :  J.  A. 
O.  S.,  25,  p.  178,  New  Int.  Enc.  "Yezidis." 

^2  H.  Poincare:  Science  and  Hypothesis.  Trans., 
G.  B.  Halsted,  p.  5  seq. 

^^The  fact  that  the  importance  of  the  method  of 
comparative  religion  has  been  generally  recognized  in 
the  scientific  world  has  led  to  the  danger  of  rushing 
into  the  other  extreme  of  paying  attention  exclusively 
to  points  of  similarity  and  resemblance,  and  of  en- 
tirely disregarding,  or  at  any  rate  thrusting  into  the 
background  as  unimportant  that  which  is  dis'^imilar. 

^*  Southgate,  ibid,  p.  317;  Jackson,  J.  A.  O.  S.,  vol. 
XXV,  p.  171. 


140  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

"  Victor  Dingelstedt,  S.  G.  M.,  vol.  XIV,  p.  295. 

*•  Siouffi,  who  was  for  about  twenty  years  a  French 
vice-consul  in  Mosul. 

"  Ibn  Hallikan,  vol.  I,  p.  316. 

2®  Manhal  Al-Uliya  wa  Masrab-ul-Asfia,  *'Seih 
*Adi,"  quoted  by  M.  N.  Siouffi,  Journal  Asiatique, 
1885,  p.  80. 

^®  Warda,  "the  rose,"  is  the  name  of  a  collection  of 
hymns  composed  by  George  Warda  (1224  A.  D.), 
Bishop  of  Arbila;  cf.  Bar  Hebraeus,  Chron.  EccL, 
vol.  II,  p.  402.  Warda  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
writers  of  hymns  in  the  thirteenth  century  which  was 
the  age  of  song  with  the  Nestorian  church.  His 
poems  have  entered  so  largely  into  the  use  of  the 
Nestorian  church  that  one  of  their  service  books  is  to 
this  day  called  the  Warda;  Badger,  The  Nestorians, 
voL  II,  p.  25.  Some  of  his  hymns  speak  of  the 
calamities  of  the  years  1224-1227.  A  few  specimens 
are  given  by  Cardahi  in  Liher  Thesauri,  p.  51. 
Badger  has  translated  one  in  his  Nestorians,  vol.  II, 
PP-  S^~S7'  Warda's  poems  have  been  edited  by 
Heinrich  Hilgenfeld,  Ausgewdhlte  Gesdnge  des 
Giworgis  Warda  von  Arhil,  Leipzig,  1904,  and  by 
Manna,  Mosul,   1901. 

*°  The  village  Karmalis  is  about  twelve  miles  distant 
from  Mosul,  and  is  inhabited  by  Chaldeans,  that  is, 
Romanized  Nestorians. 

*^  Rabban  Hormusd  is  a  Chaldean  monastery  at 
Alkos,  a  village  about  twenty  miles  north  of  Mosul. 

*2  Al-Der-Al-Makn*un  fi-1-Miater  Al-Madiyat  min 
Al-Kerun,  "Seih  'Adi,"  quoted  by  M.  >f.  Siouffi, 
Journal  Asiatique,  1885,  p.  81. 

Yakut  (vol.  IV,  p.  374)  also  regards  Seih  *Adi  an 
orthodox  Mohammedan;  "Seih  *Adi  bn  Musafir 
As-Safe'e,  seih  of  the  Kurds  and  their  Imam."  'Adi's 
orthodoxy   is   seen  also   in   his   writing.     He   wrote 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     141 

•Itikad  Ahl  Al-Sunna  "Belief  of  the  Sunnites/'  the 
Wasaya  "Consuls  to  the  Cailifs,"  and  two  odds  both 
of  them  mystic  in  tlieir  conception.  They  are  all  pre- 
served in  the  Berlin  Library ;  cf .  Clement  Huart,  His- 
tory of  Arabic  Literature,  p.  273. 

*3  Manhal-al-Uliya  wa  Masrab  ul  Asfiya,  "Seih 
*Adi,"  quoted  by  M.   N.   Siouffi,  Journal  Asiatique, 

1885,  p.  80. 

**  Al-Der-Al-Maknun  fi-1-MIater  Al-Madiyat  min 
Al-Kerun,  "Seih  'Adi/'  quoted  by  M.  N.  Siouffi. 
Journal  Asiatique,  1885,  p.  81. 

*'  Contrary  to  Mohammed  to  whom,  according  to 
Moslem  belief,  the  Koran  was  revealed  at  intervals. 

"Kitab  Al-Milal  wa  n-Nihal,  vol.   I,  p.   loi   seq. 

Harran  was  a  city  in  the  north  of  Mesopotamia,  and 
southeast  of  Edessa,  at  the  junction  of  the  Damascus 
road  with  the  highway  from  Nineveh  to  Carchamish. 
The  moon-god  had  a  temple  in  Harran,  which  en- 
joyed a  high  reputation  as  a  place  of  pilgrimage. 
The  city  retained  its  importance  down  to  the  time  of 
the  Arab  ascendency,  but  it  is  now  in  ruins.  Yakut 
(vol.  n,  p.  331)  says:  "It  was  the  home  of  Sabians; 
that  is,  the  Harranians  who  are  mentioned  by  the 
authors  of  Kutub  Al-Milal  wa  n-Nihal."  As  to  Wasit 
this  same  Yakut  (vol.  IV,  p.  881)  mentions  about 
twenty  different  places  bearing  this  name.  The  most 
prominent  one  is  that  built  by  Al-Hajjaj  in  83  A.  H. 
It  is  called  Wasit  "the  intermediate"  because  it  was 
situated  midway  between  Kufa  and  Basrah.  Another 
place  Yakut  (p.  889)  mentions  is  Wasit  ul-Rakkat, 
a  town  on  the  western  side  of  the  Euphrates,  and  about 
two  days'  journey  from  Harran.  Perhaps  this  is  the 
Wasit  that  As-Sa'hrastanl  means. 

*^  On  these  sects.  See  As-§ahrastani,  ibid,  vol.  II, 
pp.  85,  87,  89,  100  (42).  His  history,  ed.  Sachau, 
Leibzig,  1878,  p.  207. 


142  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

*^  At-Tarih,  ed.  Alton  Salhani,  Beirut,  p.  266. 

^°  Fihrist,  p.  320.  The  Arabs  used  to  call  the 
Prophet  As-sabi,  because  he  departed  from  the  reli- 
gion of  the  Koreish  to  Al-Islam;  cf.  Al-Kessaf  on 
Surah  XXII,  17. 

'^^  Hudud,  pi.  of  Hadad,  restrictive  ordinances,  or 
statutes,  of  God  respecting  things  lawful  and  things 
unlawful.  The  Hudud  of  God  are  of  two  kinds: 
First,  those  ordinances  respecting  eatables,  drinkables, 
marriage,  etc.,  what  are  lawful  thereof  and  what  are 
unlawful.  Second,  castigations,  or  punishments,  pre- 
scribed, or  appointed,  to  be  inflicted  upon  him  who 
does  that  which  he  has  been  forbidden  to  do.  The 
first  kind  are  called  Hudud  because  they  denote  limits 
which  God  has  forbidden  to  transgress;  the  second, 
because  they  prevent  one's  committing  again  those 
acts  for  which  they  are  appointed  as  punishments,  or 
because  the  limits  thereof  are  determined.  See  Lane's 
Arabic  Dictionary  in  Loco. 

^^  Cf .  also  W.  R.  Smith,  Religion  of  the  Semites, 
p.  167.  and  D.  B.  Stade's  BibUsche  Theologie  des 
Alten  Testaments,  pp.   iii  and  290. 

^^  R.  Smith,  ibid,  p.  49 ;  cf .  Ex.  3 :  5,  "And  he  said, 
Draw  not  nigh  hither;  put  off  thy  shoes  from  oiT  thy 
feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is  holy 
ground";  and  Josh.  5:  15,  "And  the  captain  of  the 
Lord's  host  said  unto  Joshua :  Loose  thy  shoe  from 
off  thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  standest  is 
holy.    And  Joshua  did  so." 

In  idolatrous  days  the  Arabs  did  not  wear  any 
clothing  in  making  the  circuit  of  the  Kaaba.  In  Islam, 
the  orthodox  way  is  as  follows :  Arrived  within  a 
short  distance  of  Mecca,  the  pilgrims  put  off  their 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      143 

ordinary  clothing  and  assume  the  garb  of  a  hajjee. 
Sandals  may  be  worn  but  not  shoes,  and  the  head 
must  be  left  uncovered.  In  Mandeanism,  each  person 
as  he  or  she  enters  the  Miskana,  or  tabernacle,  dis- 
robes, and  bathes  in  the  little  circular  reservoir.  On 
emerging  from  the  water,  each  one  robes  him  or  her- 
self in  the  rasta,  the  ceremonial  white  garment. — The 
London  Standard,  Oct.  19,  1894."  Prayer  Meeting  of 
the  Starworshippers. 

^*  Cf.  R.  Smith,  ibid,  p.  185,  and  Stade,  ibid,  p.  in 
seq. 

^^  Weil's  translation,  p.  39. 

^^Cf.  R.  Smith,  ibid,  pp.  203-212;  S.  I.  Curtiss' 
Primitive  Semitic  Religion  To-day,  pp.  84-89;  Stade, 
ibid,  p.  114,  seq.;  see  also  II  Sam.  5:  24,  and  John  5: 

2,  3- 

The  original  idea  might  have  been  that  the  waters, 
the  stones,  and  the  trees  themselves  were  divinities. 
In  Jud.  5:  21,  we  have  the  statement:  "The  river 
Kishon  swept  them  away,  that  ancient  river,  the  river 
Kishon."  Now  Kais  was  the  name  of  an  Arabian 
god  in  Pre-Islamic  time.  In  Num.  5 :  17  seq.,  an 
accused  woman  is  tested  by  a  sacred  water.  In  Deut. 
32 :  4,  "He  is  the  rock,"  "rock"  is  as  much  a  term  for 
God  as  El,  or  elohim;  cf.  verses  15,  18,  30,  31 ;  II  Sam. 
23:  3.  In  Ps.  18:  2,  the  word  rock  is  used  of  God, 
"the  Lord  is  my  rock."  Jacob  took  the  stone  which 
he  had  put  under  his  head  as  a  pillow,  and  raised  it  up 
as  a  pillar,  poured  oil  upon  it  and  called  it  the  "house 
of  God,"  Gen.  28:  18,  19,  22.  "The  sound  of  a  going 
in  the  tops  of  the  mulberry  trees"  (II  Sam.  5:  24), 
for  which  David  was  to  wait,  was  nothing  less  than 
the  divine  voice  speaking  to  David  in  accordance  with 
ancient  conceptions. 

^^  Layard :  Nineveh  and  Its  Remains,  vol.  I,  p.  280. 


144  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

''^Dancing  might  have  been  also  a  religious  cere- 
mony in  the  Pre-Kanaanitic  religion  of  Israel. 

®^  The  people  in  the  East  are  under  the  impression 
that  the  Yezidis  violate  the  law  of  morality  during 
their  festivals.  According  to  Hurgronje  (vol.  2, 
pp.  61-64,  immorality  is  practised  also  in  the  sacred 
mosque  of  Mecca.  This  practice  may  be  a  survival  of 
the  institution  of  Kadeshes,  who  offered  themselves 
in  honor  of  the  Deity  in  the  sacred  places  where 
license  usually  prevailed  during  the  festivals  (Gen. 
38:  21,  and  Deut.  23:  18). 

^'  Cf.  R.  W.  Smith,  ibid,  p.  432. 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Essential  Elements  in  Yezidism 

Although  comparatively  few  in  number,  ignorant, 
and  practically  without  a  literature  of  any  sort,  the 
followers  of  Yezid  are  not  without  definitely  formu- 
lated doctrines  of  faith  which  bind  them  together  as  a 
sect,  and  distinguish  them  from  every  other  religious 
body.  They  cherish  two  fundamental  beliefs.  They 
believe  in  a  deity  of  the  first  degree,  God;  and  in  a 
deity  of  the  second  degree,  who,  they  seem  to  think, 
is  composed  of  three  persons  in  one,  Melek  Ta'us, 
Seih  *Adi  and  Yezid.^ 

I 

The  Yezidi  View  of  God 

It  is  not  easy  to  discover  whether  the  conception  of 
God,  which  exists  to-day  among  the  Yezidis,  however 
shadowy,  has  come  from  Mohammedan  or  Christian 
sources,  or  whether  it  comes  from  that  primitive 
stage  where  the  worship  of  God  and  of  inferior 
deities  exists  side  by  side.  One  thing,  however,  is 
apparent,  and  that  is  that  the  Yezidi  notion  of  God 
does  not  seem  to  be  influenced  by  any  "positive  reli- 

145 


146  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

gion"  which  traces  its  origin  to  the  teachings  of  a 
great  religious  founder,  who  spoke  as  the  organ  of  a 
divine  revelation,  and  deliberately  departed  from  the 
traditional  religion.  The  Yezidis'  idea  of  God  is 
rather  an  image  left  on  their  mind  than  the  result  of 
any  reflection.  Hence,  simple  as  it  is,  this  conception 
is  not  so  easy  to  define.  The  notion,  so  prominent  in 
Greek  philosophy,  of  God  as  an  existence  absolute  and 
complete  in  himself,  unchangeable,  outside  of  time 
and  space,  etc.,  is  unknown  in  Yezidi  theology.  So 
also  the  theocratic  conception  of  Jehovah  in  Judaism 
is  foreign  to  the  dogma  of  this  sect.  Not  even  the 
Mohammedan  idea  of  God  as  an  absolute  ruler,  and 
the  distinctive  notion  which  the  Christians  have  of 
God  as  Christ-like  in  character,  are  to  be  found  in 
the  religion  of  the  devil-worshippers.  And  we  have 
accustomed  ourselves  to  think  of  the  Supreme  Being 
in  these  conventional  terms.  There  is  one  element, 
however,  which  may  be  traced  to  Judaism,  Christian- 
ity and  Islam,  namely,  the  belief  in  a  personal  God. 
But  Yezidism  holds  that  this  deity  is  only  the  creator 
of  the  universe  and  not  its  sustainer.  Its  maintenance, 
according  to  this  system,  is  left  to  the  seven  gods. 
Another  element  which  may  be  said  to  be  a  remnant 
of  some  other  religions  is  the  idea  of  a  transcendent 
God.  But  in  this  point,  as  in  the  other,  the  notion  of 
transcendentalism  in  the  religion  of  the  devil-worship- 
pers is  not  of  the  same  degree  as  that  of  the  other 
religions.  The  former  conceives  of  the  Almighty  as 
retiring  far  away,  and  as  having  nothing  to  do  with 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      147 

the  affairs  of  the  world,  except  once  a  year,  on  New 
Year's  day,  when  he  sits  on  his  throne,  calls  the  gods 
unto  him,  and  delivers  the  power  into  the  hands  of  the 
the  god  who  is  to  descend  to  the  earth.  To  sum  up, 
the  Yezidis'  conception  of  a  personal  God  is  trans- 
cendental and  static  of  the  extreme  type.  In  this  it 
resembles  somewhat  the  Platonic  idea  of  the  absolute. 
They  call  God  in  the  Kurdish  Khuda,  and  believe  that 
he  manifested  himself  in  three  different  forms ;  in  the 
form  of  a  bird,  Melek  Ta'us;  in  the  form  of  an  old 
man,  §eih  *Adi;  and  in  the  form  of  a  young  man, 
Yezid.  They  do  not  seem  to  offer  him  a  direct  prayer 
or  sacrifice. 

II 

The  Deity  of  the  Second  Degree 

I.     Melek  Ta'us 

A  distinguished  modern  scholar  (see  the  printed 
text,  p.  80,  lines  12-35)  argues  that  Ta'us  is  the  god 
Tammuz.  His  argument  is  that  the  word  Ta'us  must 
embody  an  ancient  god,  but  owing  to  the  obscurity  in 
which  the  origin  of  Yezidism  and  the  being  of  Melek 
Ta'us  are  wrapped,  it  is  very  difficulty  to  say  which 
god  is  meant.  And  to  determine  this,  he  assumes 
that  the  term  does  not  come  from  the  Arabic  word 
Ta'iis,  but  was  occasioned  by  some  ''folk-etymology," 
and  that  we  must  look,  therefore,  for  some  god-name 
which  resembles  the  word  T^'^s.     Taking  this  as  a 


148  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

startingpoint,  the  critic  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
in  Fihrist,  p.  322,  1.  27f,  which  treats  uf  the  feasts 
and  gods  of  the  Haranians,  we  read  that  the  god 
Tauz  had  a  feast  in  middle  of  Tammuz.  He  infers 
from  this  that  the  god  Tauz  is  identical  with  Melek 
Ta'us.  And  to  the  question  who  this  god  Tauz  is,  he 
answers  it  is  Tammuz.  To  justify  his  explanation, 
the  writer  contends  that  the  Yezidis  speak  in  Kurdish, 
and  according  to  Justi's  Kurdische  Grammatik,  p. 
82ff,  the  change  of  meem  to  waw  in  this  language  is 
frequent.^ 

However  plausible  this  process  may  seem  to  be, 
philologically  it  cannot  here  yield  a  satisfactory  con- 
clusion. For  it  is  based  on  wrong  premises.  It  is 
not  true  that  the  word  Ta'us  signifies  an  ancient 
deity.  It  denotes  the  devil  and  nothing  else.  This  is 
so  clear  to  the  Yezidis,  or  to  anyone  acquainted  with 
their  religion,  as  to  leave  no  need  for  further  discus- 
sion. And  to  question  the  religious  consciousness  of 
a  sect  is  to  engage  in  pure  seculation.  Likewi-se,  the 
method  of  determining  this  supposed  god  by  the  name 
of  some  deity  resembling  it  is  objectionable.  There 
are  many  such  names.  One  might  also  infer  that  the 
sect  worship  Christ  under  the  form  of  the  devil. 
This  theory  has  actually  been  advanced. — Theatre  de 
la  Turque,  364.  The  statement  that  in  Kurdish  the 
letter  meem  is  changed  to  waw  frequently  is  unten- 
able, if  one  would  set  it  up  as  a  grammatical  rule  to 
explain  such  phenomena.  What  is  more,  the  Kurds 
pronounce  the  name  tammuz,  and  nothing  else,  unless 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     149 

some  one  has  a  physiological  difficulty  which  will  not 
permit  him  to  close  his  lips,  so  that  instead  of  saying 
tammuz,  he  would  mutter  taouz.    The  following  are  a 
few  of  many   instances   to  show   that  meem  is   not 
changed  to  waw  in  Kurdish  ,even  in  words  of  Arabic 
origin:  'Amelie  salih   (good  works),  zamanie  aherat 
(the  last  day),  the  well  of  Zamsam,  Mohammed,  and 
Mustafa    (the    chosen    one),    when    applied    to    the 
prophet,     Melek     (king),    when    applied    to    Ta'us. 
Further   the   assumption   that   Ta'us    does   not    come 
from  the  Arabic  Ta'us  is  unverifiable.     Unquestion- 
ably the  attempt  to  trace  this  term  to  tauz,  then  to 
Tammuz,  was  suggested  to  Professor  Lidzbarski  by 
the   fact  that  ammuz  was  the  name  of  an  ancient 
Babylonian    god,    and    that    Abu    Sayyid    Wahb    ibn 
Ibrahim,  quoted  by  an-Nedim,  an  Arab  author  of  the 
tenth  century,  states  that  the  god  Tauz  has  a  feast  in 
his  honor  on  the  fifteenth  of  Tammuz    (Fihrist,  p. 
322).    But  according  to  the  author  of  "Die  Sabier  und 
Sabismus"  (p.  202)  the  original  form  of  this  word  is 

unknown. 

Not  only  the  inference  which  identifies  Ta'us  with 
Tammuz  is  based  on  wrong  premises  ;  but,  in  the  Yezidi 
conception  of  Me^ek  Ta'us,  there  are  no  traces  of  the 
notion  which  is  held  respecting  Tammuz.  The  latter 
was  originally  a  sun-god,  and  son  of  Ea  and  the  god- 
dess Sirdu,  and  the  bridegroom  of  the  goddess  Istar. 
The  legendary  poems  of  Babylonia  described  him  as  a 
shepherd,  cut  oflF  in  the  beauty  of  youth,  or  slain  by 
the  boar's  tusk  in  winter,  and  mourned  for  long  and 


150  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

vainly  by  the  goddess  Istar.  The  god  Tammuz  made 
his  way  to  Canaan,  Cyprus,  and  thence  to  Greece. 
"He  had  ceased  to  be  the  young  and  beautiful  sun- 
god,  and  had  become  the  representative  of  the  vegeta- 
tion of  spring,  growing  by  the  side  of  the  canals  of 
Bab3^1onia,  but  parched  and  destroyed  by  the  fierce 
heat  of  the  summer.  Hence  in  Babylonia  his  funeral 
festival  came  to  be  observed  in  the  month  of  June, 
and  in  Palestine  two  months  later.  Tammuz  had 
changed  his  character  in  passing  from  country  to 
country,  but  the  idea  of  him  as  a  slain  god,  and  of  his 
festival  as  the  idealization  of  human  sorrow,  a  kind 
of  "All  Souls  Day,"  was  never  altered  wherever  he 
was  adored."^  Such  beliefs  are  not  found  in  the 
Yezidi  view  of  their  King  Peacock.  On  the  contrary 
his  festival  is  for  them  the  occasion  of  joy  and 
pleasure. 

I  conclude,  then,  that  Ta'us  is  the  Arabic  word 
meaning  peacock,  just  as  Melek  is  the  Arabic  word 
meaning  king  or  angel.  The  sect  write  it,  pronounce 
it,  and  believe  it  to  be  so.  The  faith  of  the  sect  finds 
expression  in  the  fact  that  they  represent  their  angel 
Azazil  in  the  form  of  the  peacock. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  real  question  is  not  what 
Melek  Ta'us  is,  but  how  the  devil-god  came  to  be 
symbolized  by  the  image  of  a  bird.  This  question  finds 
an  answer  in  the  fact  that  the  worship  of  a  bird 
appears  to  have  been  the  most  ancient  of  idolatry.  It 
is  condemned  especially  in  Deut.  4:  16,  17:  "Lest  ye 
corrupt   yourselves    and    make   a  graven   image,    the 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     151 

similitude  of  any  figure,  the  likeness  of  any  winged 
fowl  that  fiieth  in  the  air."  And  Layard,  in  his 
Nineveh  and  Its  Remains,  vol.  II,  p.  462,  gives  the 
sketch  of  a  bird  from  one  of  the  slabs  dug  up  at 
Nimrud.  He  remarks  that  the  lyuges,  or  sacred  birds, 
belonged  to  the  Babylonian  and  probably  also  to  the 
A-ssyrian  religion.  They  were  a  kind  of  demons, 
who  exercised  a  peculiar  mfluence  over  mankind, 
resembling  the  feroher  of  Zoroastrianism.  The 
oracles  attributed  to  Zoroaster  describe  them  as 
powers  anointed  by  God. 

Their  images,  made  of  gold,  were  in  the  palace  of 
the  king  of  Babylonia.  According  to  Philostratus 
they  were  connected  with  magic.  In  Palestine  the 
dove  was  sacred  for  the  Phoenicians  and  Philistines. 
The  Jews  brought  accusation  against  the  Samaritans 
that  they  were  worshippers  of  the  dove.  Sacred 
doves  were  found  also  at  Mecca.  Nasar  (eagle)  was 
a  deity  of  the  tribe  of  Hamyar.* 

A  question  suggesting  itself  is  how  the  Yezidi  god 
came  to  be  designated  by  the  form  of  a  peacock. 
This  bird  is  a  native  of  Ceylon,  and  not  of  Mesopo- 
tamia or  Kurdistan  where  the  Yezidis  live.*^  The 
answer  may  be  found  in  the  Muslim  tradition®  that 
when  the  first  parents  forfeited  heaven  for  eating 
wheat,  they  were  cast  down  upon  earth.  Eve  descended 
upon  'Arafat;  Adam  at  Ceylon;  the  peacock  at 
Gabul,  and  Satan  at  Bilbays.  In  this  myth  the  devil 
and  the  peacock  are  figured  as  sharing  the  same 
penalty  at  the  same   time.     According  to   Surah  2, 


1S2  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

28-31,  the  crime  of  the  former  was  pride,  but  nothing 
is  said  about  the  guilt  of  the  latter.  We  learn,  how- 
ever, from  other  sources,  that  the  bird  in  question  is 
thought  of  as  a  symbol  of  pride.  In  his  article 
*Teacock,"  in  the  Enc.  Brit.,  vol.  18,  p.  443,  Professor 
A.  Newton  says :  "The  bird  is  well  known  as  the 
proverbial  presonification  of  pride.  It  is  seldom  kept 
in  large  numbers  for  it  has  a  bad  reputation  for  doing 
mischief  in  gardens."  Hence  we  may  infer  that  the 
notion  of  the  peacock  as  a  symbol  of  pride  together 
with  the  Koranic  idea  of  Satan's  sin  led  to  the  forma- 
tion of  the  myth;  that  this  story  was  current  among 
the  followers  of  Yezid  bn  Unaisa;  and  that,  under 
the  influence  of  the  devil- worshippers  of  Persia  the 
old  tradition  lost  its  original  significance,  and  came  to 
be  understood  to  represent  the  peacock  as  a  symbol 
of  the  god-devil. 

Among  the  three  branches  of  the  deity  in  the  second 
degree,  Melek  Ta'us  holds  an  important  place  in  the 
theology  of  the  Yezidis.  The  language  used  in  his 
praise  is  so  elevated  that  one  is  led  to  think  that  he 
is  identical  with  God.  Some  scholars  deny  this  theory 
on  the  ground  that  the  principal  prayer  of  these  people 
is  directed  to  God  and  no  mention  is  made  of  King 
Peacock.  Hence  they  contend  also  that  no  direct 
worship  is  offered  to  the  latter  deity.''  It  seems  to  me 
that  such  a  contention  is  not  justifiable.  In  the  first 
place,  the  people  themselves  confess  their  loyalty  to 
the  chief  angels.  Moreover,  the  expression  in  this 
prayer,  "Thou  hast  neither  feather,  nor  wings,  nor 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     153 

arms,  nor  voice"  (see  p.  74)  is  more  applicable  to  the 
symbol  Peacock  than  to  God.  There  can  be  no  doubt, 
I  think,  that  in  the  conception  of  the  sect  'Azazil 
appears  to  be  identical  with  God.  This  fact  finds 
definite  expression  in  the  Book  of  Jilwah.  In  Chapter 
I  he  is  represented  as  being  from  eternity  to  eternity, 
as  having  absolute  control  of  the  world,  as  being 
omnipresent  and  omnipotent  and  unchangeable.  In 
Chapter  II  he  is  said  to  appear  in  divers  manners  to 
the  faithful  ones;  and  life  and  death  are  determined 
by  him.  And  in  Chapter  III  he  is  declared  to  be  the 
source  of  revelation.  While  this  is  true,  there  are 
other  phrases  which  refer  to  Ta'us  is  being  inferior 
to  the  great  God,  but  superior  to  all  other  gods.  He 
was  created,  and  is  under  the  command  of  God;  but 
he  is  made  the  chief  of  ail. 

It  is  not  quite  easy  to  understand  the  underlying 
idea  in  worshipping  the  devil.  Some^  explain  this  by 
supposing  he  is  so  bad  that  he  requires  constant 
propitiation ;  otherwise  he  will  take  revenge  and  cause 
great  misery.  For  this  reason,  it  is  claimed,®  they  do 
not  worship  God,  because  he  is  so  good  that  he  cannot 
but  forgive.  This  is  the  usual  interpretation,  and  it 
is  confirmed  by  the  nature  of  the  religious  service 
rendered.  It  seems  to  partake  much  more  of  a  pro- 
pitiatory than  of  a  eucharistic  character,  not  as  the 
natural  expression  of  love  but  of  fear.  This  reminds 
us  at  once  of  the  Babylonian  religion.  According  to 
this  religion,  when  any  misfortune  overtook  the  wor- 
shippers, they  regarded  it  as  a  sign  that  their  deity 


154  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

was  angry,  and  had  therefore  left  them  to  their  own 
resources  or  had  become  their  enemy.  To  be  thus 
deserted  was  accounted  a  calamity  because  of  the 
innumerable  dangers  to  which  the  soul  was  exposed 
from  the  action  of  the  powers  seen  and  unseen.  So 
that  as  a  matter  of  precaution,  it  was  well  to  main- 
tain a  propitiatory  attitude.  Hence  the  great  object  of 
worship  was  to  secure  and  retain  the  somewhat 
capricious  favor  of  the  deity.^^  This  is  in  accord  with 
the  natural  feeling  of  man  in  his  primitive  state, 
which  leads  him  rather  to  dread  punishment  for  his 
sin  than  to  be  thankful  for  blessings  received. 

Others"  hold  that  the  Devil-worshippers  believe 
that  their  Lord  is  a  fallen  angel,  now  suffering  a 
temporary  punishment  for  his  rebellion  against  the 
divine  will  because  he  deceived  Adam,  or  because  he 
did  not  recognize  the  superiority  of  Adam  as  com- 
manded by  God.  But  it  is  not  for  man  to  interfere 
in  the  relations  of  God  with  his  angels,  whether  they 
be  fallen  or  not;  on  the  contrary  man's  duty  is  to 
venerate  them  all  alike.  The  great  God  will  be  finally 
reconciled  to  Ta'us,  and  will  restore  him  to  his  high 
place  in  the  celestial  hierarchy. 

Still  others^^  assert  that  the  sect  does  not  believe  in 
an  evil  spirit  but  as  a  true  divinity.  This  theory  is  not 
generally  accepted,  but  seems  more  probable  than  the 
preceding  ones.  For  there  is  nothing  in  the  sacred 
book  to  indicate  that  Melek  Ja'Cis  is  an  evil  spirit  or 
a  fallen  angel.  On  the  contrary  the  charge  that  he 
was  rejected  and  driven  from  heaven  is  repudiated. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     155 

The  mentioning  of  his  name  is  looked  upon  as  an 
insult  to  and  blasphemy  against  him  because  it  is 
based,  the  Yezidis  think,  on  the  assumption  that  he 
is  degraded.  Finally,  he  is  declared  to  be  one  of  the 
seven  gods,  who  is  now  ruling  the  world  for  a  period 
of  10,000  years. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that,  in  the  history  of  reli- 
gion, the  god  of  one  people  is  the  devil  of  another 
In  the  Avesta,  the  evil  spirits  are  called  daeva 
(Persian  Div)  ;  the  Aryans  of  India,  in  common  with 
the  Romans,  Celts,  and  Slavs  gave  the  name  of  dev 
(devin,  divine,  divny)  to  their  good  or  god-like 
spirits.  Asura  is  a  deity  in  the  Rig  Veda,  and  an 
evil  spirit  only  in  later  Brahman  theology.  Zoroaster 
thought  that  the  beings  whom  his  opponents  wor- 
shipped as  gods,  under  the  name  of  dauva,  were  in 
reality  powers  by  whom  mankind  are  unwittingly  led 
to  their  destruction.  "In  Islam  the  gods  of  heathen- 
ism are  degraded  into  jinn,  just  as  the  gods  of  north 
Semitic  heathenism  are  called  seirim  (hairy  demons) 
in  Lev.  17:  7,  or  as  the  gods  of  Greece  and  Rome 
became  devils  to  the  early  Christians. "^^ 

The  Yezidis'  veneration  for  the  devil  in  their 
assemblies  is  paid  to  his  symbol,  the  sanjak.  It  is  the 
figure  of  a  peacock  with  a  swelling  breast,  diminutive 
head,  and  widespread  tail.  The  body  is  full  but  the 
tail  is  flat  and  fluted.  This  figure  is  fixed  on  the  top 
of  a  candlestick  around  which  two  lamps  are  placed, 
one  above  the  other,  and  containing  seven  burners. 
The  stand  has  a  bag,  and  is  taken  to  pieces  when 


156  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

carried  from  place  to  place.  Close  by  the  stand  they 
put  water  jugs  filled  with  water,  to  be  drunk  as  a 
charm  by  the  sick  and  afflicted.  They  set  the  sanjak 
at  the  end  of  a  room  and  cover  it  with  a  cloth.  Under- 
neath is  a  plate  to  receive  the  contributions.  The 
kawwal  (sacred  musician)  kisses  the  corner  of  the 
cloth  when  he  uncovers  Melek-Ta'us.  At  a  given 
signal,  all  arise,  then  each  approaches  the  sanjak, 
bows  before  it  and  puts  his  contribution  into  the  plate. 
On  returning  to  their  places,  they  bow  to  the  image 
several  times  and  strike  their  breasts  as  a  token  of 
their  desire  to  propitiate  the  evil  principle. 

The  Yezidis  have  seven  sanjaks,  but  the  Farik 
(Lieut.-Gen.  of  the  Turkish  Army),  who  tried  to  con- 
vert them  to  Mohammedanism  in  1892,  took  five  of 
them.  Some  deny,  however,  that  they  were  real 
ones;  they  say  they  were  imitations.  Each  sanjak  is 
given  a  special  place  in  the  Emir's  palace,  where  it 
is  furnished  with  a  small  brazen  bed  and  a  vessel  in 
the  form  of  a  mortar  placed  before  it.  They  burn 
candles  and  incense  before  it  day  and  night.  Each 
sanjak  is  assigned  a  special  district,  the  name  of 
which  is  written  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  placed  on  its 
shoulder.  On  the  shoulder  of  the  first  the  district  of 
Seihan,  which  comprises  the  villages  around  Mosul,  is 
indicated;  on  the  second  Jabal  Sin  jar;  in  the  third 
the  district  of  Halitiyah,  which  i-s  one  of  the  depend- 
encies of  Diarbeker;  on  the  fourth  the  district  of 
Hawariyah,  i.  e.,  the  Kochers;  on  the  fifth  the  district 
of  Malliah,  the  villages  around  Aleppo;  on  the  sixth 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     157 

the  district  of  Sarhidar,  which  is  in  Russia;  and  the 
seventh  remains  at  the  tomb  of  Seih  'Adi. 

When  sent  from  village  to  village  of  its  respective 
district,  a  sanjak  is  put  in  a  hagibah^*  (saddle-bag) 
and  carried  on  a  horse  that  belongs  to  a  pir  (religious 
teacher).  On  nearing  a  certain  place,  a  messenger  is 
sent  to  announce  in  Kurdish  "Sanjak  hat,"  "the 
Sanjak  has  come."  Then  all  the  people  don  their 
fineries  and  go  out  to  welcome  it  with  tambourines. 
As  the  representative  of  Melek  Ta'us  reaches  the 
town,  the  pir  cries  out  in  Kurdish  language,  "Sanjak 
mevan  ki  sawa?"  (literally:  "Whose  guest  shall  the 
sanjak  be?").  On  hearing  this,  each  person  makes 
a  bid  for  the  privilege  of  entertaining  it.  Finally  he 
who  bids  the  highest  receives  the  image.  At  that 
moment  the  accompanying  pir  takes  the  hagibah  off 
the  horse's  back  and  hangs  it  on  the  neck  of  the 
person  who  is  to  keep  the  symbol  of  the  devil  over 
night. 

The  Yezidis  say,  that  in  spite  of  the  frequent  wars 
and  massacres  to  which  the  sect  has  been  exposed, 
and  the  plunder  and  murder  of  the  priests  during 
their  journeys,  no  Melek  Ta'us  has  ever  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans.  When  a  kawwal 
sees  danger  ahead  of  him,  he  buries  the  Melek  Ta'us 
and  afterwards  comes  himself,  or  sends  some  one  to 
dig  up  the  brazen  peacock,  and  carries  it  forward  in 
safety. 

Besides  revering  the  devil  by  adoring  his  symbol, 
the    Yezidis    venerate    him   by    speaking   with    great 


158  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

respect  of  his  name.  They  refer  to  him  as  Melek 
Ta'us,  King  Peacock,  or  Melek  al-Kawwat,  the 
Mighty  King.  They  never  mention  his  name;  and  any 
allusion  to  it  by  others  so  irritates  and  vexes  them 
that  they  put  to  death  persons  who  have  intentionally 
outraged  their  feelings  by  its  use.  They  carefully 
avoid  every  expression  that  resembles  in  sound  the 
name  of  Satan.  In  speaking  of  shatt  (river)  they  use 
the  common  Kurdish  word  Ave,  or  the  Arabic  ma 
(water).  In  speaking  of  the  Euphrates,  they  call  it 
Ave  *Azim,  or  ma  al-kabir,  i.  e.,  the  great  river,  or 
simply  al-Frat. 

2.    Seih  'Adi 

Next  to  the  devil  in  rank  comes  §eih  'Adi.  But  he 
is  not  the  historical  person  whose  biography  is  given 
by  the  Mohammedan  authors.  He  is  identified  with 
deity  and  looked  upon  as  a  second  person  in  a  divine 
trinity.  He  is  sent  by  Melek  Ta'us  to  teach  and  to 
warn  his  chosen  people  lest  they  go  astray.  He  is 
conceived  to  be  everywhere,  to  be  greater  than  Christ ; 
and,  like  Melek-Sedek,  has  neitlier  father  nor  mother. 
He  has  not  died  and  will  never  die.  In  verse  ten  of 
the  poems  in  his  praise,  he  is  distinctly  said 
to  be  the  only  God.  His  name  is  associated  with 
all  the  myth  that  human  imagination  can  possibly 
create  about  a  deity.  To  express  the  Yezidi  dogma 
in  terms  of  Christian  formula,  Seih  *Adi  is  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  dwells  in  their  prophets,  who  are  called 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      159 

kochaks.      He   also    reveals   to    them   truth    and   the 
mysteries  of  heaven. 

The  entertaining  of  such  views  has  led  some 
modern  critics  to  thmk  *Adi  the  good  and  Melek 
Ta'us  the  evil  principle.  In  the  poem  (30-32),  he 
is  represented  as  the  good  deity  and  the  source  of  all 
good.  Others  identify  him  with  Adde  or  Adi,  a 
disciple  of  Manes  or  Mani.  Still  others  regard  his 
name  as  one  of  the  names  of  the  deity.  In  this  case, 
his  tomb  is  a  myth  and  the  prefix  "Seih"  is  added  to 
deceive  the  Mohammedans,  and  thus  to  prevent  them 
from  desecrating  the  sacred  shrine,  just  as  the  Chris- 
tians call  Mar  Mattie,  Sheikh  Mattie,  and  the  convent 
of  Mar  Behnan,  huder  Elias.'^  But  the  most  in- 
genious theory  is  that  advanced  by  the  Rev.  G.  P. 
Badger.  He  queries  whether  "the  Yezidi  *Adi  be  not 
cognate  with  the  Hebrew  Ad,  the  two  first  letters  in 
the  original  of  Adonai,  the  Lord,  and  its  compounds, 
Adonijah,  Adonibezek.  The  writer  is  aware,  how- 
ever, that  'This  derivative  is  open  to  objection  on  the 
ground  that  the  Yezidis  write  the  word  with  *ain  and 
not  with  alif ."  But  he  explains :  "They  write  so  only 
in  Arabic,  of  which  they  know  but  very  little,  and  not 
in  their  own  language  (Kurdish)  in  which  they  do  not 
write  it  at  all.  Moreover,  they  may  have  assimilated 
the  mode  of  expressing  the  title  of  their  deity  in  by- 
gone days  to  that  of  'Adi,  one  of  the  descendants  of 
the  Merawian  Califs,  with  whom,  from  fear  of  being 
persecuted  by  the  Mohammedans,  they  sometimes 
identified   him."     Having   thus   expounded  his    own 


i6o  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

view,  this  English  scholar  proceeds  to  repudiate  the 
suggestion  that  §eih  *Adi  "is  the  same  Adi,"  one  of  the 
disciples  of  Mani,  since  there  is  no  proof,  according  to 
him,  that  Mani  himself  was  deified  by  his  followers. 

So  far  as  the  application  of  the  method  of  com- 
parative philology  is  concerned,  Badger's  theory  is 
more  reasonable  and  tenable  than  that  of  Lidzbarski, 
who,  by  the  same  method,  attempts  to  identify  Melek 
Ta'us  with  Tammuz.  Nevertheless,  the  inference  of 
the  former  is  beyond  any  possible  justification.  For 
such  a  starting-point  is  misleading  when  it  is  not  sup- 
ported by  historical  proof.  A  failure  to  support  it 
thus  cannot  be  regarded  as  other  than  deficiency  in 
treatment.  Now,  while  one  may  be  misguided  by  the 
Yezidi  myth  surrounding  the  personality  of  Seih  'Adi, 
the  critical  mind  can  find  much  in  it  to  aid  him  in  his 
efforts  to  discover  the  true  identity  of  the  man.  In 
verse  fifty  of  his  poem,  for  our  critic  draws 
his  conclusions  in  the  light  of  this  poem,  the 
Seih  receives  his  authority  from  God  who  is  his  lord; 
in  verse  fifty-seven  he  is  a  man,  'Adi  of  Damascus, 
son  of  Musafir;  in  verse  eighty  he  declares  that  the 
high  place  which  he  had  attained  is  attainable  by  all 
who,  like  him,  shall  find  the  truth.  To  justify  my 
criticism,  I  need  only  ask  the  reader  to  recall  the 
description  by  the  Mohammedan  biographers  of  the 
person  in  question. 

The  Yezidis  offer  their  worship  to  §eih  *Adi, 
usually  when  they  assemble  at  his  shrine.  This  is  his 
tomb  within  a  temple.     The  latter  lies  in  a  narrow 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     i6i 

valley  which  has  only  one  outlet,  as  the  rock  rises 
on  all  sides  except  where  a  small  stream  forces  its 
way  into  a  large  valley  beyond.  The  tomb  stands  in 
a  courtyard,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  few  buildings  in 
which  the  guardians  and  the  servants  of  the  sanctuary 
live.  In  the  vicinity  are  scattered  a  number  of  shacks, 
each  named  after  a  seih,  and  supposed  to  be  his  tomb. 
Toward  sunset  these  sacred  places  are  illuminated  by 
burning  sesame  oil  lamps,  putting  one  at  the  entrance 
to  each  tomb  in  token  of  their  respect;  the  light  lasts 
but  a  short  time.  There  are  also  a  few  edifices,  each 
belonging  to  a  Yezidi  district,  in  which  the  pilgrims 
reside  during  the  time  of  the  feast;  so  that  each  por- 
tion of  the  valley  is  known  by  the  name  of  the  country 
of  those  who  resort  thither.  On  the  lintel  of  the 
doorway  of  the  temple,  various  symbols  are  en- 
graved,— a  lion,  a  snake,  a  hatchet,  a  man  and  a 
comb.^®  Their  mystical  meaning  is  unknown.  They 
are  regarded  as  mere  ornaments  placed  there  at  the 
request  of  those  who  furnished  money  for  building 
the  temple.  The  interior  of  the  temple  is  made  up  of 
an  oblong  apartment  which  is  divided  into  three  com- 
partments, and  a  large  hall  in  the  centre  which  is 
divided  by  a  row  of  columns ;  and  arches  support  the 
roof.  To  the  right  of  the  entrance  are  a  platform, 
and  a  spring  of  water  coming  from  the  rock.  The 
latter  is  regarded  with  great  veneration,  and  is 
beUeved  to  be  derived  from  the  holy  well  of  Zamzam 
at  Mecca.  It  is  used  for  the  baptism  of  children  and 
for  other  sacred  purposes.     Close  by  there  are  two 


i62  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

small  apartments  in  which  are  tombs  of  the  saints  and 
of  some  inferior  personage.  In  the  principal  halls  a 
few  lamps  are  usually  burning,  and  at  sunset  lights 
are  scattered  over  the  walls. 

The  tomb  of  Seih  'Adi  lies  in  the  inner  room,  which 
is  dimly  lighted.  The  tomb  has  a  large  square  cover, 
upon  which  is  written  Ayat  al-Kursi,  that  is,  the 
verse  of  the  throne,  which  is  the  256th  verse  of  surat- 
al-Bakarah,  or  Chapter  II  of  the  Koran. 

"God.  There  is  no  God  but  He,  the  Living,  the 
Abiding.  Neither  slumber  nor  sleep  seizeth  Him. 
To  Him  belongeth  whatsoever  is  in  heaven  and  what- 
soever is  on  earth.  Who  is  he  that  can  intercede  with 
Him  but  by  His  own  permission?  He  knoweth  what 
'  has  been  before  them  and  what  shall  be  after  them ; 
yet  naught  of  His  knowledge  do  they  comprehend, 
save  what  he  willeth  to  reveal.  His  throne  reacheth 
over  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and  the  upholding  of 
both  burdeneth  Him  not.    He  is  the  High,  the  Great." 

It  is  related  (in  the  Mishkat,  Book  IV,  i.  19,  Part 
HI)  that  'Ali  heard  Mohammed  say  in  the  pulpit, 
"That  person  who  repeats  the  Ayat  al-Kursi  after 
every  prayer  shall  in  no  wise  be  prevented  from 
entering  into  Paradise,  except  by  life;  and  whoever 
says  it  when  he  goes  to  his  bedchamber  will  be  kept 
by  God  in  safety  together  with  his  house  and  the 
house  of  his  negihbor."  §eih  'Adi  might  have  been 
in  the  habit  of  repeating  this  verse ;  and  this,  perhaps, 
led  to  its  inscription  on  the  tomb. 

In  the  center  of  the  inner  room,  close  by  the  tomb, 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      163 

there  is  a  square  plaster  case,  in  which  are  small  balls 
of  clay  taken  from  the  tomb.  These  are  sold  or  dis- 
tributed to  the  pilgrims,  and  regarded  as  sacred  relics, 
useful  against  disease  and  evil  spirits.  It  is  said  that 
there  are  three  hundred  and  sixty  lamps  in  the  shrine 
of  *Adi,  which  are  lit  every  night.  The  whole  valley 
in  which  the  shrine  lies  is  held  sacred.  No  impure 
thing  is  permitted  within  its  holy  bounds.  No  other 
than  the  high  priest  and  the  chiefs  of  the  sect  are 
buried  near  the  tomb.  Many  pilgrims  take  off  their 
shoes  on  approaching  it,  and  go  barefooted  as  long 
as  they  remain  in  its  vicinity. 

Such  is  the  sanctuary  of  'Adi,  where  they  offer  him 
their  homage.  Their  worship  may  be  divided  into 
two  kinds,  direct  and  indirect.  The  former  consists 
of  traditional  hymns  sung  by^the  kawwals,  the  sacred 
musicians  of  the  sect.  They  are  chanted  to  the  sound 
of  flutes  and  tambourines.  The  tunes  are  monotonous 
and  generally  loud  and  harsh.  The  latter  kind  con- 
sists in  celebrating  their  religious  rites  with  great 
rejoicing  on  the  feast  day  of  their  great  saint.  And 
their  Kubla,  the  place  to  which  they  look  while  per- 
forming their  holy  ceremonies,  is  that  part  of  the 
heaven  in  which  the  sun  rises. 

The  great  feast  of  §eih  *Adi  is  held  yearly  on  April 
fifteenth  to  twentieth,  Roman  calendar,  when  the 
Yezidis  from  all  their  districts  come  to  attend  the 
festival  celebration.  Before  entering  the  valley,  men 
and  women  perform  their  ablutions,  for  no  one  can 
enter  the  sacred  valley  without  having  first  purified 


i64  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

his  body  and  his  clothes.  The  people  of  the  villages 
are  gathered  and  start  together,  forming  a  long  pro- 
cession, preceded  by  musicians,  who  play  the  tam- 
bourine and  the  pipe.  They  load  the  donkeys  with 
necessary  carpets  and  domestic  utensils.  While 
marching  they  discharge  their  guns  into  the  air  and 
sing  their  war  cry.  As  soon  as  they  see  the  tower 
of  the  tomb,  they  all  together  discharge  their  arms. 

The  seihs  and  the  principal  members  of  the  priest- 
hood are  dressed  in  pure  white  linen,  and  all  are 
venerable  men  with  long  beards.  Only  the  chief  and 
the  kawwals  and  two  of  the  order  of  the  priesthood 
enter  the  inner  court  of  the  temple,  and  they  always 
go  in  barefooted.  They  start  an  hour  after  sunset." 
The  ceremony  begins  with  the  exhibition  of  the  holy 
symbol  of  Melek  Ta'us  to  the  priests.  No  stranger 
is  allowed  to  witness  this  ceremony  or  to  know  the 
nature  of  it.  This  being  done,  they  begin  the  rite. 
The  kawwals  stand  against  the  wall  on  one  side  of  the 
court  and  commences  a  chant.  Some  play  on 
the  flute,  others  on  the  tambourine;  and  they 
follow  the  measure  with  their  voices.  The  seihs 
and  the  chiefs  form  a  procession,  walking  two  by  two ; 
the  chief  priest  walks  ahead.  A  fakir  holds  in  one 
hand  a  lighted  torch,  and  in  another  a  large  vessel  of 
oil,  from  which  he  pours  into  the  lamp  from  time  to 
time.  All  are  in  white  apparel  except  the  fakirs,  who 
are  dressed  in  black.  As  they  walk  in  a  circle,  they 
sing  in  honor  of  §eih  'Adi.  Afterward,  they  sing  in 
honor  of  *Isa  (Jesus).    As  they  proceed  the  excitement 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     165 

increases,  the  chants  quicken,  the  tambourines  are 
beaten  more  frequently,  the  fakirs  move  faster,  the 
women  make  tahlil  with  a  great  shouting,  and  the 
ceremony  comes  to  an  end  with  great  noise  and 
excitement.  When  the  chanting  is  ended,  those  who 
were  marching  in  procession  kiss,  as  they  pass  by,  the 
right  side  of  the  temple  entrance,  where  the  serpent 
is  figured  on  the  wall.  Then  the  emir  stands  at  this 
entrance  to  receive  the  homage  of  the  seihs  and  elders 
who  kiss  his  hand.  Afterward  all  that  are  present 
give  one  another  the  kiss  of  peace.^*  After  the  cere- 
mony the  young  men  and  women  dance  in  the  outer 
court  until  early  in  the  morning. 

In  the  morning  the  seihs  and  the  kawwals  offer  a 
short  prayer  in  the  temple  without  any  ceremony  and 
some  kiss  the  holy  places  in  the  vicinity.  When  they 
end,  they  take  the  green  ^^  cover  of  the  tomb  of  Seih 
'Adi  and  march  with  it  around  the  outer  court  with 
music.  The  people  rush  to  them  and  reverently  kiss 
the  corner  of  the  cloth,  offering  money. 

After  taking  the  cover  back  to  its  place,  the  chiefs 
and  priests  sit  around  the  inner  court.  Kochaks  at 
this  time  bring  food  and  call  the  people  to  eat  of  the 
hospitality  of  Seih  'Adi.^^  After  they  have  finished 
their  meal,  a  collection  is  taken  for  the  support  of  the 
temple  and  tomb  of  their  saint.  All  people  that  come 
to  the  annual  festival  bring  dishes  as  offerings  to  their 
living  seih.  After  he  has  indicated  his  acceptance 
of  them  by  tasting,  these  are  given  to  the  servants  of 


i66  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

the  sanctuary.    When  the  feast  comes  to  an  end,  the 
people  return  to  their  several  abodes. 

(3.)     Yezid 

The  third  essential  element  in  the  religion  of  the 
devil-worshippers  is  the  belief  that  their  sect  has 
taken  its  origin  from  Yezid,  whom  frequently  they 
call  God  and  regard  as  their  ancestral  father,  to  whom 
they  trace  their  descent.  No  other  worship  is  offered 
him.  He  is  given,  however,  a  place  of  honor  in  the 
court  of  the  temple,  where,  on  one  side,  there  is  the 
inscription  "Melek  Yezid,  the  mercy  of  God  be  upon 
him";  on  the  other  side  "§eih  *Adi,  the  mercy  of  God 
be  upon  him."  In  the  corner  of  this  court  a  lamp  is 
kept  burning  all  night  in  honor  of  the  two. 


NOTES  ON  CHAPTER  II 

ip.  Anastase:  Al-Masrik,  vol.  II,  p.  151;  Bedrus 
Efendi  Ar-Ridwani,  his  letter  to  A.  N.  Andrus,  April 

22,  1887. 

nidzbarski  Z.  D.  N.  G.,  vol.  LI,  p.  592;  he  is 
followed  by  Makas  Kurdische  Studien,  p.  35. 

^  See  "Tammuz"  in  Jastrow's  religion  of  Babylonia 
and  Assyria,  and  Cheney's  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 

*R.  W.  Smith:  Religion  of  the  Semites,  p.  219;  As- 
Sahrastani,  vol.  11,  p.  434-  "^^akut  (vol.  IV,  p.  780) 
says :  Originally  nasr  was  worshipped  by  the  people  of 
Noah,  and  from  them  was  brought  to  the  tribe  of 
Hamyar.  According  to  the  Syriac  doctrine  of  Addai 
(Ed.  George  Philips,  p.  24)  the  people  of  Edessa  wor- 
shipped "the  eagle  as  the  Arabians." 

^  So  far  as  I  am  aware  no  writer  on  the  Yezidis 
has  ever  raised  this  question. 

®  Hughes:  Dictionary  of  Islam,  p.  21. 

'  Victor  Dingelstedt]  SGM,  vol.  XIV. 

®  Badger:  The  Nestorians,  vol.  I,  p.  125;  Layard, 
Nineveh,  vol.  1,  p.  297. 

»  P.  Anastase:  Al-Masrik,  vol.  II,  p.  152. 

i^The  Hibbert  Journal,  vol.  V,  No.  2,  Jan.,  1907, 

P-  337. 

^1  Layard:  Ibid;  Victor  Dingelstedt,  Ibid,  p.  299. 

^2  Dingelstedt :  Ibid. 

^^R.  W.  Smith:  Religion  of  the  Semites,  p.  120; 
Fihrist,  p.  322,  326,  calls  the  gods  of  the  Harranians 
devils. 

187 


i68  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

'^^Hagihah  is  a  Turkish  word,  meaning  a  saddle- 
back. 

^5  Badger:  Ibid,  p.  247.     (137)  Ibid,  p.  112. 

Mr.  Badger  seems  to  contend  that  the  Kurdish- 
speaking  people  do  not  pronounce  the  letter  *ain.  This 
is  not  true,  the  Kurds  pronounce  this  letter  as  well  as 
other  gutterals.  They  sometimes  even  change  the 
Arabic  Alif  to  ain.  This  is  to  be  said,  however,  that  in 
some  localities  the  *ain  is  pronounced  alif,  just  as  the 
kaf  is  changed  to  alif,  but  this  is  not  confined  to  the 
Kurds,  such  changes  are  made  by  the  Arabic-  and  the 
Syriac-speaking  people  also. 

^^The  figures  of  the  bull  and  of  the  serpent,  or  of 
the  bull  and  of  the  lion  were  placed  at  the  right  and 
left  of  the  palaces  of  the  Assyrian  kings  to  protect 
their  path.  Layard,  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  p.  162 ; 
Nineveh,  vol.  II,  p.  315;  B.  F.  Harper,  Assyrian  and 
Babylonian  Literature,  pp.  139,  148,  153.  The  lion 
was  both  an  ornament  and  support  in  the  throne  of 
Solomon,  Layard,  Nineveh,  vol.  II,  p.  301.  The 
hatchet  was  among  the  weapons  of  those  who  fought 
in  chariots,  and  carried  in  the  quiver,  with  the  arrows 
and  short  angular  bow,  Nineveh,  vol.  II,  p.  343. 

^^  The  Mandeans,  the  star-worshippers,  also  begin 
their  rasta  ceremony  after  the  sunset,  and  continue  it 
through  the  night. — London  Standard,  October  19, 
1994,  Al-Mutaktataf,  23,  88. 

^^  The  kiss  of  the  peace  is  a  regular  part  of  the 
church  service  in  the  East. 

"  In  Mohammedanism,  green  is  the  color  of  seihs. 

^^  This  is  a  communal  meal. 


CHAPTER  III 
Other  Deities  and  Festivals 


The  So-Called  Seven  Divinities 

Besides  their  great  saint,  the  Yezidis  believe  in 
seven  other  seihs  through  whose  intermediation  they 
invoke  God.  These  are  also  deified  and  assigned 
places  of  honor  at  §eih  *Adi's  side.  In  their  case  as 
in  that  of  their  chief,  the  tradition  has  led  some 
critics  to  believe  that  they  are  archangels;  others, 
different  attributes  of  God;  and  still  others,  the  seven 
Amshaps  of  Zoroaster,  or  immortal  spirits  of  the 
Avesta.  The  last  conjecture  is  made  by  Victor 
Dingelstadt.^  Cholsohn  goes  a  step  further  in 
making  the  assertion,  "Der  Tempel  des  sheikh  Shams 
ist  ohne  alien  Zweifel  ein  sonnentempel  der  so 
gebaut  ist,  dass  die  ernsten  Strahlen  der  sonne  so 
haufig  als  moglich  auf  ihn  fallen."  The  ground  for 
this  positive  statement  is,  we  are  told  "Layard 
berichtet."^  Now,  the  English  scholar  seems  to  base 
his  contention  on  the  fact  that  the  building  is  called 
the  sanctuary  of  §eih  Sams;  that  the  herd  of  white 
oxen  which  are  slain  on  great  festivals  at  Seih  'Adi's 

169 


lyo  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

are  dedicated  to  Sams ;  "that  the  dedication  of  the  bull 
to  the  sun"  was  generally  recognized  in  the  religious 
system  of  the  ancients,  which  probably  originated  in 
Assyria;  and  that  the  Yezidis  may  have  uncon- 
sciously preserved  a  myth  of  their  ancestors.^  To  my 
mind  the  ground  for  such  a  view  is  the  apriori  assump- 
tion that  the  religion  of  the  devil-worshippers  is  the 
remnant  of  an  ancient  cult,  and  that  every  phenom- 
enon in  it  is  to  be  regarded,  therefore,  a  survival  of 
the  past  system.  For  certain  reasons  I  hold  that  su^h 
is  not  the  case. 

One  reason,  as  Badger  rightly  remarks,  the 
Yezidis  so  designate  the  place  for  the  sake  of 
brevity,  is  the  entablature  over  the  doorway  records 
the  name  in  full,  "Sheikh  Shams  Ali  Beg  and  Paris." 
Two  persons  are  mentioned  in  the  inscription.*  In 
like  manner,  the  word  Sams  frequently  enters  into  the 
construction  of  Mohammedan  names.  The  most 
celebrated  one  that  bore  this  name  was  Sams  u-d-Din 
of  Tabriz,  the  friend  and  spiritual  guide  of  Jalal  ad- 
Din,  who  flourished  during  the  first  half  of  the  13th 
century  of  our  era. 

Moreover,  round  about  the  tomb  of  Seih  *Adi  are 
many  such  abandoned  shrines,  each  of  which  is 
dedicated  to  a  similar  deified  seih.  Many  of  these 
seihs  are  known  to  be  historical  personages.  Take 
for  example,  Seih  'Abd  al-Kadir  of  Gilan.  He  is 
Seih  Muhiyyu  d  Din  'Abd  al  Kadir  of  Gilan  in 
Persia,  the  founder  of  the  Kadiri  order  of  dervishes. 
He  was  born  in  a.  h.  471    (a.  d.  1078-9)   and  died 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      171 

A.  H.  516  (a.  d.  1 164-5).  So  also  §eih  Kadib  al-Ban. 
He  was  from  Mosul,  and  was  a  contemporary  of 
§eih  'Adi.  In  giving  the  life  of  Muhi  ad  Din  as- 
ghamozuri,  Ibn  Hallikan  (v.  2,651)  says,  "His  corpse 
was  removed  to  a  mausoleum  built  for  its  reception 
outside  the  Maidan  Gate  of  Mosul,  near  the  tomb  of 
Kadib  al-Ban,  the  celebrated  worker  of  miracles." 
Further,  Mansur  al-Hallaj  was  a  celebrated  mystic, 
revered  as  a  saint  by  the  more  advanced  sufis.  He 
was  put  to  death  with  great  cruelty  at  Bagdad  in 
A.  H.  309  (a.  d.  921-2)  on  a  charge  of  heresy  and 
blasphemy,  because  he  had  said  in  one  of  his  ecstacies, 
'  "Ana-1-Hakk,  I  am  the  truth,  God."    All  biographers 

•        •   • 

of  sufi  saints  speak  of  him  with  admiration. 

There  are  still  others  who  are  mentioned  even 
among  the  seven  seihs  enumerated  in  the  principal 
prayer.  §eih  Hasan  (written  also  Seihisin)  was 
from  Basrah.  He  was  a  celebrated  theologian  and 
died  in  a.  d.  728.  His  life  is  given  by  Ibn  Hallikan. 
He  was  noted  for  self -mortification,  fear  of  God  and 
devotion.  And  Fahr  ad-Din  is  ibn  Abd  Allah 
Mohammed  Ibn  Amar  al-Hasain  Ibn  al-Hasan,  Ibn 
'Ali  Al-Taim  al-Bakri  al-Taberstani  ar-kai-zi  (native 
of  Kai  in  Tabarestan),  surnamed  Fahr  ad-Din 
(glory  of  faith).  He  was  a  doctor  of  the  Shafite  sect, 
a  pearl  of  his  age,  a  man  without  a  peer.  He  sur- 
passed all  his  contemporaries  in  scholastic  theology, 
and  preached  both  in  Arabic  and  Persian.  He  would 
draw  floods  of  tears  from  his  eyes.  His  virtues  and 
merits  were  boundless.    He  was  born  at  Kai,  25th  of 


172  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Ramadan,  a.  h.  54D  (a.  d-  1150),  and  died  at  Herat, 
the  first  of  Shawal,  a.  h.  606  (March  a.  d.  1210), 
(See  ibn  HaUikan  in  loco.) 

In  the  light  of  these  facts,  I  conclude,  then,  that 
those  who  cannot  be  identified — for  many  bear  the 
same  name,  and  we  do  not  know  which  is  which — 
are  also  historical  personages. 

This  is  what  I  mean  by  the  statement  that  in  order 
to  yield  satisfactory  results  the  inductive  method 
must  be  supported  by  historical  investigations. 

In  a  question  like  this,  however,  the  philosophical 
method  also,  when  carried  on  critically,  may  yield  a 
satisfactory  result.  Accordingly,  observations  should 
be  made  in  the  sphere  of  religious  consciousness. 
Now  one  of  the  characteristics  of  the  human  mind  is 
the  tendency  to  defy  man.  This  is  shown  in  the 
titles  which  men  gave  to  their  superiors.  In  the  Tell- 
al-Amarna  tablets,  we  find  various  kinglets  of  Syria, 
in  writing  to  the  king  of  Egypt,  address  him  as  "my 
gods"  (ilani-ia).  Thus  Abimilki  of  Tyre  writes:  "To 
my  lord,  the  king,  my  son,  my  god."  What  is  more, 
a  superhuman  character  is  attributed  to  the  dead. 
This  appears  from  the  attitude  which  the  primitive 
mind  entertained  towards  the  deceased.  At  first,  the 
relation  to  the  dead  was  hostile,  hence  their  spirits 
were  feared.  Gradually,  the  relation  became  familiar, 
so  that  their  association  was  sought  and  sacrifices  and 
gifts  were  oflfered  to  them.  They  came  to  be  looked 
upon  as  elohim,  who  knew  the  future  events.  Thus 
we   find   that    in    the   Old   Testament,    worship   was 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     173 

offered  to  the  dead,  and  that  the  tombs  of  ancestors 
and  heroes  frequently  appear  as  places  of  worship, 
as,  e.  g.,  the  grave  of  Miriam  at  Kadish  (Num.  26:  i), 
Even  to-day  tombs  of  saints  are  common  in  Arabia, 
and  thousands  of  people  visit  them  annually  to 
ask  the  intercession  of  the  saints.  Likewise,  the 
Nusairiyeh  of  Syria  have  deified  *Ali,  the  Drus  their 
chief  Hakim,  the  Babis  their  Beha,  and  the  Christians 
their  saints.*^  We  cannot,  therefore,  be  surprised  that 
the  Yezidis  have  defined  their  seihs  and  heroes.  They 
have  only  shown  that  common  trait  of  the  mind — the 
tendency  to  deify  man. 

It  is  to  be  noticed,  further,  that  in  the  historical 
development  of  religions  we  find  that  when  the  stage 
of  the  mere  belief  in  spirits  is  past,  individual  deities 
stand  out  from  the  great  mass  of  the  spirits,  and  these 
are  plainly  imagined  to  be  personal  gods,  such  as 
Astarte  and  Ba'al  by  the  side  of  Hadad  and 
Aschirat.^  Now  this  is  practically  what  we  find  in 
the  evolution  of  modern  Yezidism.  Out  of  many 
seihs  and  murids,  seven,  next  to  seih  'Adi,  stand  out 
as  individual  divities. 

Yearly  festivals  in  honor  of  these  seihs  are  com- 
memorated in  April  at  different  villages  with  the  same 
rites  as  those  observed  at  Seih  'Adi's  tomb.  Lamps 
are  nightly  lighted  and  left  to  burn  in  the  shacks  called 
after  the  names  of  their  respective  seihs;  and  in  those 
to  which  a  room  is  attached,  kawwals  assemble  at 
sunset  every  Tuesday  and  Thursday,  when  they  burn 


174  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

incense  over  each  tomb;  and  after  watching  a  short 
time,  and  smoking  their  pipes,  they  return  home. 

An  interesting  festival  is  that  of  Seih  Mohammed, 
celebrated  by  the  people  of  Ba'sika,  where  his  tomb 
exists.  They  say  that  they  are  solemnizing  the 
nuptials  of  Seih  Mohammed,  whom  they  believe  to  be 
married  once  a  year.  The  men  and  women  dance 
together  while  the  kawwals  play  on  their  flutes  and 
tambourines.  They  bring  Melek  Ta'us  in  procession 
from  Bahazanie  to  Ba'sika  amid  rejoicing  and  sound 
of  music.  Two  pirs  precede  the  bearer  of  the  sacred 
peacock,  carrying  in  their  hands  lighted  candles 
which  they  move  to  and  fro.  As  they  pass  along  the 
bystanders  bow  in  adoration  and,  immersing  their 
hands  in  the  smoke,  perfume  with  it  their  arms  and 
faces.  They  carry  the  image  of  Melek  Ta'us  to  the 
house  of  the  one  who  is  the  highest  bidder  for  the 
honor  of  entertaining  it.  Here  it  remains  two  days, 
during  which  all  profane  festivals  are  suspended  and 
visits  are  paid  to  it. 

II 

The  Day  of  Sarsal 

In  addition  to  the  festivals  mentioned  above  is  the 
one  observed  on  New  Year's  day,  the  first  Wednesday 
in  April.  On  this  day,  the  Yezidis  say,  no  drums  are 
to  be  beaten,  for  God  sits  on  the  throne,  holding  a 
conference  at  which  he  decrees  the  events  of  the  year. 
They  also  stick  wild  scarlet  anemones  to  the  entrance 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     175 

of  their  houses.  The  refraining  from  the  sound  of 
instruments  of  pleasure  on  the  part  of  orientals  sig- 
nifies a  state  of  contrition.  Hence,  it  is  very  likely 
that  the  Yezidis  entertain  the  view  that  on  this  day 
God  is  decreeing  their  destiny  for  the  coming  year; 
that  they  must  now,  therefore,  adjust  their  relation 
to  him  with  sincere  sorrow  for  sin.  H  this  is  so,  the 
significance  of  the  hanging  of  the  flowers  at  the 
entrance  of  their  houses  can  be  taken  as  intended  to 
propitiate  the  Evil  Principle,  and  to  ward  off  calamity 
during  the  coming  year.  Such  a  belief  has  a  parallel 
in  many  religions.  According  to  Babylonian  mythol- 
ogy human  destiny  was  decreed  on  New  Year's  day 
and  sealed  on  the  tenth  day  thereafter.  It  was  there- 
fore necessary  to  placate  the  deity,  or  at  least  to  make 
sure  of  one's  relation  to  him,  before  this  particular 
day.  The  New  Year  period  was  held,  therefore,  to  be 
of  special  importance  because  of  the  bearing  on  indi- 
vidual welfare  by  reason  of  the  good  or  the  evil 
decision  of  the  gods.  Our  modern  custom  of  wishing 
our  friends  a  Happy  New  Year  has  perhaps  some  con- 
nection with  this  idea.^ 

The  Day  of  Atonement  (Lev.  23:  2^',  25:  29)  had 
a  most  important  place  in  the  Jewish  ecclesiastical 
year.  This  was  the  occasion  of  a  thorough  purifica- 
tion of  the  whole  nation  and  of  every  individual 
member  thereof  in  their  relation  to  Yahweh.  It  was 
designed  to  deepen  afresh  the  national  and  individual 
sense  of  sin  and  dread  of  the  judgment  of  God. 
According  to  Talmud  (Misna,  Ro§  ha§ana,  vol.  I,  2) 


176  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Ros  hasana  is  the  most  important  judgment  day,  on 
which  all  creatures  pass  for  judgment  before  the 
Creator.  On  this  day,  three  books  are  opened 
wherein  the  fate  of  the  wicked,  the  righteous  and 
those  of  the  intermediate  class  are  recorded.  Hence 
prayer  and  works  of  repentance  are  performed  on  the 
New  Year  from  the  first  to  the  tenth  that  an  un- 
favorable decision  might  be  averted  (Jewish  Ency., 
art.  Penitential  Day).  R.  Akiba  says:  "On  New 
Year  Day  all  men  are  judged;  and  the  degree  is  sealed 
on  the  Day  of  Atonement  (Ibid,  art.  Day  of  Judg- 
ment). 

Moreover,  the  red  lilies  of  the  doors  of  the  Yezidis 
remind  us  at  once  of  the  blood  sprinkled  on  the  door- 
posts of  the  dwellings  of  the  Israelites  in  Egypt  as  a 
sigrn  for  the  Destroying  Angel  to  pass  over.  This 
notion  is  found  also  in  a  similar  practice  among  the 
Parsees  of  India,  who  hang  a  string  of  leaves  across 
the  entrances  to  their  houses  at  the  beginning  of  every 
new  year. 

In  the  light  of  what  has  been  said,  the  Yezidis'  idea 
in  giving  food  to  the  poor  at  the  grave  on  the  day  of 
Sarsal  (New  Year  day),  is  to  propitiate  God  on  be- 
half of  the  dead,  who  are,  according  to  their  belief, 
reincarnated  in  some  form  or  other.® 


NOTES  ON  CHAPTER  III 

^  S.  G.  M.,  ibid. 

2  Die  Sah'ien,  I,  296. 

3  Nineveh  and  Its  Remains,  vol.  II,  p.  239. 

*  Nestorians  and  Their  Rituals,  vol.  I,  p.  ii7- 

^  S.  J.  Curtis :  Primitive  Semitic  Religion  To-day, 
p.  96';  J.  A.  O.  S.,  vol.  8,  223. 

6  Cf.  Marti's  Die  Religion  des  A.  T.,  pp.  28-29. 

^The  Hibbert  Journal,  ibid. 

8  For  different  interpretation  of  the  Yezidi  New 
Year,  see  Brockelmann  in  Z.  D.  M.  G.,  vol.  55,  p.  388. 


177 


CHAPTER  IV 

Sacraments,   Religious   Observances  and   Sacer- 
dotal System 


Sacraments 

Circumcision,  the  Eucharist  and  baptism  are  the 
three  religious  rites  administered  by  the  followers  of 
Yezid.  The  first  rite  is  optional.  But  with  baptism 
the  case  is  different;  it  is  a  matter  of  obligation. 
When  a  child  is  born  near  enough  to  the  tomb  of  §eih 
*Adi  to  be  taken  there  without  great  inconvenience  or 
danger,  it  should  be  baptized  as  early  as  possible  after 
birth.  The  kawwals  in  their  periodical  visitations 
carry  a  bottle  or  skin  filled  with  holy  water  to  baptize 
those  children  who  cannot  be  brought  to  the  shrine. 
The  mode  of  baptism  is  as  follows:  A  seih  carries 
the  baby  into  the  water,  takes  off  his  clothes,  and 
immerses  him  three  times.  After  the  second  time, 
putting  his  hand  on  the  child's  head,  he  mutters,  "Hoi 
hola  soultanie  Azid,  tou  bouia  berhe  Aizd,  saraka  rea 
Azid."  ("Hoi  hola!^  Yezid  is  a  sultan.  Thou  hast 
become  a  lamb  of  Yezid ;  thou  mayest  be  a  martyr  for 
the  religion  of  Yezid.")  The  parents  are  not  admitted 
to  the  domed  shack  of  the  spring;  they  remain  out- 

178 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     179 

side.  The  seih  is  paid  for  his  services  by  the  father 
of  the  child.  If  the  baby  be  a  male,  the  gift  must  be 
more  valuable  than  if  it  be  a  female. 

Within  twenty  days  from  the  time  of  baptism,  a 
male  child  is  circumcised.  To  perform  the  rite,  two 
seihs  are  employed.  One  holds  the  child  in  his  lap, 
the  other  performs  the  operation.  Before  starting,  he 
asks  the  child  to  say :  "As  berhe  Azide  Sarum."  ("I 
am  the  lamb  of  illuminating  Yezid.")  If  he  be  too 
small  to  repeat,  the  seih  who  holds  him  repeats  the 
sentence  for  him.  All  this  is  done  in  the  presence  of 
the  parents,  the  relatives  and  the  friends,  amid 
rejoicing  with  the  sound  of  the  flute  and  the  tam- 
bourine. When  the  ceremony  is  ended,  the  father  of 
the  child  entertains  all  those  present  for  seven  suc- 
cessive days,  during  which  period  they  dance,  sing 
and  eat  the  food  sent  to  them  by  the  friends  and 
neighbors  of  the  circumcised  child.  When  this  comes 
to  an  end,  the  two  seihs  are  presented  with  gifts. 
Then  every  one  returns  home.  The  reason  why  they 
observe  the  two  rites,  they  say,  is  that  if  one  does  not 
work  the  other  may,  and  neither  is  harmful. 

As  to  the  Eucharist,^  its  observance  is  local.  It  is 
usually  administered  by  the  Yezidis  of  a  place  called 
Halitiyeh,  a  dependency  of  Diarbeker.  It  is  observed 
in  the  following  manner:  They  sit  around  a  table. 
The  chief  among  them  holding  a  cup  of  wine,  asks  in 
Kurdish,  "Ave  Chia."  ("What  is  this?")  Then  he 
himself  answers,  "Ave  Kasie  Tsaya."  ("This  is  the 
cup    of    Jesus.")      He    continues,    "Ave    'Isa    naf 


i8o  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

rounishtiya."  ("Jesus  is  sitting  and  present  in  it.") 
Having  first  partaken  himself,  he  passes  the  cup 
around.  The  last  person  drinks  all  that  is  left  in  the 
cup. 

There  is  another  sacrament  among  the  Yezidis.  I 
refer  to  the  rite  of  repentance.  When  persons 
quarrel,  the  guilty  one,  covering  his  face  with  his 
hands,  betakes  himself  to  the  most  venerable  seih  to 
confess  his  sin.  The  latter,  giving  the  penitent 
instructions,  enjoins  him  to  kiss  the  hands  of  his 
enemy  and  those  of  the  members  of  the  priesthood. 
This  having  been  done,  if  still  no  reconciliation  be 
effected,  the  offending  person,  whoever  he  may  be, 
must  undergo  again  the  same  exercises.  When  peace 
is  established,  the  penitent  one  slaughters  a  sheep  and 
offers  wine  to  the  reconciled  one  and  the  clerical  body. 
This  rite  of  repentance,  however,  is  not  obligatory.^ 

II 

Some  Other  Religious  Practices 
Fasting  i-s  one  of  the  religious  observances.  It  is 
kept  for  three  successive  days  in  the  month  of  Decem- 
ber, when  they  profess  to  commemorate  the  death  of 
Yezid.  Some  observe  also  the  forty  days'  fast  in  the 
spring  of  the  year,  when  the  Eastern  Christians  cele- 
brate the  memory  of  Christ's  abstinence  from  food 
at  the  time  of  his  temptation  in  the  wilderness.  One 
person  in  a  family  may  fast  for  the  rest.  During  this 
period  fasters  abstain  from  animal  food.     The  chief 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     i8i 

seih  fasts  rigidly  one  month  in  the  year,  eating  only 
once  in  twenty-four  hours  and  immediately  after 
sunset. 

Prayer  is  not  considered  a  religious  duty.  They 
never  pray;  they  do  not  even  have  a  form  of  prayer, 
and  acknowledge  that  they  do  not  pray.  It  is  said 
that  when  Seih  *Adi  came  from  Mecca,  he  told  his 
followers  in  one  of  his  sermons :  "God  commanded 
me  to  tell  you  that  there  is  no  need  of  prayer ;  believe 
in  the  power  of  Melek  Ta'us  and  ye  shall  be  saved." 
They  have,  however,  what  is  called  morning  recital, 
which  the  devout  among  them  mutters  in  Kurdish  as 
he  rises  up  from  his  bed.    It  is  as  follows: 

''Chand-il-manhatie  sobayaka  rosh  halatie.  Hatna 
mesarmen  dou  jaladie,  meskino  raba.  Beda  Sade  lada 
dina  mine  elk  Allah  melek  seih-sin  Habib  Allah 
maklub  al-mergie  salah  maklub  w-mergie  al-jem's 
salah  Al-bani  ma-ieh  al-jem'sieh  wal  jot  kuobaieh 
Kwa-samsi  Tauris  zval-Fahra-Dinn,  washeikho  Pir. 
Kawata  deira  sor,  hanpouteka  deira  chankulie  wa- 
Kabri  Zaman  wa-ahro  douni,  Amin."^ 

"How  often  two  executioners  came  upon  me  as  the 
morning  sun  arose.  O  poor  man,  stand  up  and  bear 
witness !  Witness  for  my  religion.  God  is  one ;  the 
angel  Seih  *Adi  and  upon  his  congregation;  upon  the 
great  shack  and  the  shack  of  Seih  Tauris  and  Fahr 
ad-Din  and  to  every  seih  and  pir,  and  the  power  of 
Deir  Zor  and  Deir  Chankalie  (two  Christian  monas- 
teries), and  the  grave  of  time  (mysterious  power), 
and  the  Last  Day." 


i82  DEVIL  WORSHIP 


III 

The  Sacerdotal  Orders 

The  hierarchical  orders  of  the  Yezidi  sect  are  four. 
The  head  seih  is  the  patriarch  of  the  sect.  He  directs 
all  the  religious  affairs  of  the  community  and  leads 
them  in  their  rites.  He  is  also  the  principal  inter- 
preter of  their  religion,  the  chief  spiritual  judge,  a 
sacred  person,  whose  hearth  is  regarded  as  a  sanc- 
tuary, only  second  in  importance  to  Seih  'Adi's  temple, 
and  whose  will  must  be  obeyed.  His  powerful 
weapon  is  excommunication.  He  presides  over  a 
tribunal  composed  of  ecclesiastical  superiors,  which 
has  jurisdiction  in  religious  offences,  in  questions 
relating  to  marriage,  and  in  disputes  between  the 
clergy.  His  charge  is  hereditary,  in  direct  succession; 
but  if  his  eldest  son  be  considered  unworthy,  he  may 
appoint  another  to  succeed  him.  He  is  said  to  be 
descended  from  Seih  *Adi,  and  is  believed  to  be 
endowed  with  supernatural  power  for  healing  dis- 
eases, and  for  blessing  cattle  and  crops.  Twice  a 
year  he  visits  the  neighboring  villages  to  collect  con- 
tributions, and  sends  his  kawwals  to  far  distant  dis- 
tricts  for  the  same  purpose.  Occasionally  he  takes 
part  in  celebrating  the  marriage  of  persons  of  distinc- 
tion in  his  community.  He  is  also  at  times  solicited  to 
preside  over  funeral  rites,  which  are  generally  con- 
ducted by  the  kawwals  and  seihs.  The  chief  seih 
wears  a  black  turban  and  white  garments. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     183 

Besides  the  head  selh,  the  Yezidis  have  many  other 
seihs.  Each  has  a  parish  to  look  after.  Twice  a  year 
he  visits  his  parishioners  to  receive  their  free-will 
offerings.  If  a  member  of  a  congregation  does  not 
satisfy  his  seih,  he  is  anathematized  by  his  spiritual 
leader,  and  no  one  will  speak  to  him  or  eat  with  him. 
Every  one  of  these  seihs  is  supposed  to  possess  a 
special  power,  such  as  the  power  to  drive  scorpions 
away  by  praying  over  water  and  sprinkling  it  in  the 
corners  of  the  house.  They  have  one  called  §eih 
Deklie,  that  is,  Seih  of  the  Cocks.  His  office  is  to  go 
from  village  to  village  to  collect  chickens.  Several  of 
these  seihs  always  reside  at  Seih  'Adi's. 

The  next  in  dignity  are  pirs,  from  the  Persian 
meaning  an  old  man.  They  wear  red  turbans  and 
black  garments.  Then  come  the  kawwals,  from  the 
Arabic,  meaning  one  who  speaks  fluently,  an  orator. 
And  lastly,  the  fakirs,  from  the  Arabic  poor.  These 
are  the  lowest  order  in  the  Yezidi  priesthood.  (For 
the  different  offices  of  the  last  three  orders,   (see  p. 

69.) 

The  clergy  of  all  ranks  enjoy  particular  respect. 
Their  persons  and  homes  are  held  inviolate.  They 
take  precedence  at  public  gatherings.  And  the  seihs 
and  pirs  possess  the  much  dreaded  power  of  excom- 
munication. 

Besides  the  above,  the  Yezidis  have  a  temporal 
chief,  who  is  called  amir.  His  dignity  is  also  heredi- 
tary and  confined  to  one  family.  He  is  believed  to  be 
a  descendant  of  Yezid.     He  exercises  a  secondary 


i84  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

authority  over  the  Yezidis.  He  is  a  mediator  between 
his  sect  and  the  Turkish  government.  He  has  the 
power  to  cut  off  any  refractory  member  from  the 
community.  He  has  charge  of  fifty  kawwals  who  try 
to  collect  for  him  at  their  annual  visits  to  each 
Yezidi  district  a  certain  amount  of  money.  The 
money  received  by  them  is  divided  into  two  equal 
parts,  one  of  which  goes  to  the  support  of  the  tomb  of 
Seih  'Adi,  and  the  second  part  is  divided,  one-half 
being  for  the  amir,  the  other  half  being  shared  equally 
by  the  kawwals. 

The  name  of  the  present  amir  is  *Ali,  and  he  resides 
in  Ba'adrie. 


NOTES  ON  CHAPTER  IV 

^  Hoi  Hola  is  an  interjection,  or  exclamation,  ex- 
pressing sudden  emotion,  excitement,  or  feeling,  as 
"Oh!"  "Alas!"  "Hurrah!"  "Hark!"  in  English. 

^  P.  Anastase:  Al-Masrik,  vol.  H,  p.  309. 

^  Ibid,  p.  311. 

*  Ibid,  p.  313. 


185 


CHAPTER  V 
Their  Customs 


Marriage 

The  Yezidis  are  endogamic.  They  forbid  union 
between  the  secular  and  the  rehgious  classes,  as  also 
within  certain  degrees  of  relationship.  A  seih's  son 
marries  only  a  seih's  daughter;  so  pirs'  sons,  pirs' 
daughters.  A  layman  cannot  marry  a  seih's  or  a  pir's 
daughter,  but  he  may  take  for  a  wife  a  kawwal's  or 
a  kochak's  daughter;  and  kawwals'  or  kochaks'  sons 
may  marry  laymen's  daughters.  But  if  a  layman 
marries  a  seih's  or  a  pir's  daughter,  he  must  be  killed. 
Marriage  is  for  life,  but  it  is  frequently  dissolved, 
divorce  being  as  easy  to  obtain  among  them  as  among 
Moslems.  When  a  man  wants  to  get  rid  of  his  wife, 
he  simply  lets  her  go.  Polygamy  is  allowed,  but 
usually  confined  to  rich  men,  who  generally  have  two 
wives.  The  number  of  wives  is  limited  to  six,  except 
for  the  amir.  A  man  must  have  money  or  cattle  in 
order  to  be  able  to  get  married.  The  price  is  called 
kalam.  A  respectable  girl  will  not  sell  herself  at  a 
low  price.  Parents  get  rich  if  they  have  several  pretty 
girls;   they   are   the   father's   property.     The  kalam, 

186 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      187 

dowry,  is  usually  thirty  sheep  or  goats,  or  the  price 
of  them.    The  man  must  give  presents  to  the  relatives 
of  his  bride,  parents,  brothers,  etc.     If  a  couple  love 
each  other  and  cannot  marry  because  the  man  has  no 
money  to  pay  his  sweetheart's  father,  then  they  elope. 
They  usually  make  arrangements  before  elopement  as 
to  where  they  will  stay  for  a  few  weeks  to  escape 
detection.     Some  strong  men  accompany  them  when 
they  elope.     The  father  of  the  girl  with  his  relatives 
follow.     If  they  catch  the   fugitives,  bloodshed  may 
ensue.     But  if  they  succeed  in  escaping,  they  return 
after  some  time  and  are  then  forgiven.    According  to 
a  Kurdish  proverb  everything  is  pardoned  the  brave. 
The  couple  choose  one  another.     The  girl  informs 
her   mother   that   she   loves   so   and   so.     The   latter 
informs  her  husband.    The  father  acquaints  the  father 
of  the  young  man  with  the  fact.     When  they  agree, 
and  the  daughter  is  given  to  the  young  man,  his  kin- 
dred come  to  the  house  of  the  bride's  father  on  an 
appointed  day,  and  give  the  girl  a  ring;  then  they 
dance,  rejoice  all  night,  play,  wrestle,  and  eat  black 
raisins.     After  that  the  young  couple  are  allowed  to 
arrange  nuptial  meetings  in  the  company  of  a  matron, 
who  is  presented  with  a  gift. 

When  the  time  of  marriage  comes,  the  family  of  the 
bridegroom  invites  the  relatives.  Each  takes  with  him 
a  silk  handkerchief  as  a  present  for  the  bride.  For 
three  days  they  drink  "arak,"  sing  and  dance  to  the 
sound  of  flutes  and  drums  at  the  house  of  the  young 
man.     After  that,  the  women,  two  by  two,  ride  on 


i88  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

horseback  together,  and  likewise  the  men.  The  men 
take  with  them  their  children,  who  ride  behind  them. 
In  this  manner  they  go  to  the  bride's  house,  discharg- 
ing their  guns  as  they  proceed.  When  they  reach  the 
house  they  all  discharge  their  guns  together.  Hear- 
ing the  sound,  the  father  comes  out  and  according  to 
the  custom,  asks  the  visitors  what  they  want.  They 
respond  "Your  daughter,"  all  answering  at  once. 
Then  he  goes  in  and  tells  his  wife.  After  putting 
upon  their  daughter  a  scarlet  hailiyah  (veil),  which 
covers  her  from  head  to  foot,  they  bring  her  out. 
Everyone  of  the  children  takes  a  spoon  from  the 
bride's  house  and  sticks  it  in  his  turban.  After  being 
brought  to  the  house  of  the  bridegroom,  the  bride  is 
kept  behind  a  curtain  in  the  corner  of  a  darkened 
room  for  three  days,  and  the  young  man  is  not 
allowed  to  see  her  during  this  period. 

On  the  third  day,  the  bridegroom  is  sought  early  in 
the  morning,  and  led  in  triumph  by  his  friends  from 
house  to  house,  receiving  at  each  a  small  present.  He 
is  then  placed  within  a  circle  of  dancers,  and  the 
guests  and  bystanders  wetting  small  coins  stick  them 
to  his  forehead.  The  money  is  collected  as  it  falls  in 
an  open  handkerchief  held  by  his  companions.  After 
this  ceremony  a  number  of  the  young  men,  who  have 
attached  themselves  to  the  bridegroom,  lock  the  most 
wealthy  of  their  companions  in  a  dark  room  until  they 
are  willing  to  pay  a  ransom  for  their  release.  The 
money  thus  taken  is  added  to  the  dowry  of  the  newly 
married  couple. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      189 

On  the  evening  of  the  third  day  the  seih  takes  the 
bridegroom  to  the  bride.  Putting  the  hand  of  one  in 
that  of  the  other,  and  covering  the  couple  with  a 
haiUyah,  he  asks  the  bride,  "Who  are  you?"  "I  am 
the  daughter  of  so  and  so,"  responds  she.  Then  he 
asks  the  bridegroom  the  same  question.  After  receiv- 
ing an  answer,  the  seih  asks,  "Will  you  take  this  young 
woman  as  a  wife,"  and  "Do  you  want  this  young  man 
as  a  husband?"  After  hearing  each  say  "Yes,"  the 
seih  marks  their  shoulders  and  foreheads  with  red  ink, 
and  hands  them  a  stick.  As  each  holds  one  end  of  it, 
he  asks  them  to  break  it  in  the  middle,  leaving  one- 
half  in  the  hand  of  each.  Then  the  seih  says,  "So  you 
remain  one  until  death  breaks  you  asunder." 

When  this  is  done,  he  takes  the  couple  to  a  room 
and  locks  them  in,  waiting  at  the  door.  After  a  while 
the  bridegroom  knocks  at  the  door  three  times. 
Understanding  the  signal,  the  priest  discharges  his 
gun,  and  all  the  bystanders  outside  follow  his  ex- 
ample. After  shouting  and  dancing  for  some  time, 
the  seih  sends  them  home.  When  they  first  meet,  the 
newly  wedded  husband  strikes  his  young  wife  with  a 
small  stone  as  a  token  of  his  superiority  over  her. 
For  seven  days,  they  stay  at  home  and  do  no  work. 
Now,  if  the  husband  dies  first,  the  wife  goes  to  her 
father's  house. 

With  the  Yezidis,  the  family  bonds  are  stronger 
than  those  of  the  tribe.  The  family  proper  consists  of 
parents  and  their  children,  married,  and  unmarried, 
living  in  the  same  house.     Respect  for  parents  and 


I90  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

elder  persons  is  considered  a  virtue,  as  it  is  among 
all  the  eastern  people.  The  head  of  the  family  is  the 
sole  proprietor  of  the  possessions  of  the  family,  and 
holds  full  control  over  his  wife  and  children,  who  are 
bound  to  obey  him.  Only  personal  objects  and  dress 
are  the  property  of  the  wife.  He  can  punish  his  wife 
and  the  children.  If  a  son  leaves  his  father's  house, 
he  is  beyond  the  father's  authority,  but  not  beyond 
his  moral  influence.  A  father  is  to  maintain  his 
family,  defend  it,  and  answer  charges  brought  against 
its  members.  Next  to  the  father  in  authority  stands 
the  eldest  son. 

Women  are  inferior  to  men;  married  women  must 
obey  their  husbands.  They  work  like  men;  they  till 
the  ground,  take  care  of  cattle,  fight  the  enemy  and 
are  courageous  and  very  independent.  This  enables 
the  young  women  to  choose  their  sweethearts  and  run 
away  with  them.  They  converse  with  men  freely.  A 
woman  does  not  conceal  her  face  unless  she  is  stared 
at,  when  she  draws  a  corner  of  her  mantle  over  her 

face. 

Married  women  are  dressed  entirely  in  white,  and 
their  shirt  is  of  the  same  cut  as  the  man's,  with  a 
white  herchief  under  their  chin,  and  another  over 
their  heads,  held  by  the  *agal  or  woollen  cord  of  the 
Bedouins.  The  girls  wear  white  skirts  and  drawers, 
and  over  them  colored  zabouns,  long  dresses  open  in 
front  and  confined  at  the  waist  by  a  girdle  ornamented 
with  pieces   of   silver.     They   bind    fancy   kerchiefs 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     191 

around  their  heads  and  adorn  themselves  with  coins 
as  well  as  with  glass  and  amber  beads. 

The  men  wear  shirts  closed  up  to  the  neck,  and  their 
religious  law  forbids  them  to  wear  the  common  east- 
ern shirts  open  in  front.  Their  shirt  is  the  distinctive 
mark  by  which  the  Yezidi  sect  is  recognized  at  once. 
They  are  clothed  besides  with  loose  trousers  and 
cloaks,  both  of  white,  and  with  a  black  turban,  from 
beneath  which  their  hair  falls  in  ringlets.  They 
usually  carry  long  rifles  in  their  hands,  pistols  in  their 
girdles,  and  a  sword  at  their  side. 

In  their  physical  characteristics  they  are  like  the 
Kurds,  wild,  rough,  uncultured.  They  are  muscular, 
active,  and  capable  of  bearing  great  hardship.  In 
general,  they  are  a  fine,  manly  race :  tall  or  of  medium 
stature,  with  large  chest;  strong  deep  voice,  audible 
afar;  clear,  keen  eye;  frank  and  confident,  or  fierce 
and  angry;  nose  of  moderate  length,  and  fairly  small 
head.  Their  legs  are  rather  short,  but  the  soles  of 
their  feet  are  large.  Their  complexion  is  usually  dark 
and  their  eyes  are  black.  But  there  are  different 
types.  The  predominant  type  is  tall,  with  black  hair, 
fine  regular  nose,  and  bluish  brown  eyes.  The  rest 
are  of  shorter  stature,  with  longer  features;  light, 
bright  eyes;  and  large,  irregular  nose.  The  Yezidis 
sometime  shave  the  hair  off  their  head,  leaving  only 
a  long,  thin  forelock. 


192  DEVIL  WORSHIP 


II 


Funerals 


If  a  young  or  well-known  man  dies,  they  make  in 
his  likeness  a  wooden  form  and  clothe  it  in  the  dead 
man's  clothes.  Then  the  musicians  play  mourning 
tunes,  while  the  relatives  stand  round  the  model. 
After  wailing  for  a  while,  they  walk  in  procession  in 
a  circle  around  the  form,  and  now  and  then  kneel 
down  to  receive  a  blessing  from  it.  Those  who  come 
to  the  scene,  according  to  their  custom,  ask  the 
parents  of  the  dead  man,  "What  have  you?"  They 
reply,  "We  have  the  wedding  of  our  son."  They 
continue  wailing  for  three  days.  Afterward  they  dis- 
tribute food  on  behalf  of  the  dead.  For  a  year  they 
give  a  plate  of  food  with  a  loaf  of  bread  daily  to  some 
person,  thinking  that  thereby  they  are  feeding  their 
own  dead.  On  the  seventh  and  fortieth  day  from  the 
time  of  death,  they  visit  the  grave  to  mourn  over  their 
lost  one.  Now,  if  the  dead  be  a  common  man,  he  is 
not  honored  with  such  a  ceremony.  He  is  usually 
buried  an  hour  or  two  after  his  death. 

The  funeral  rites  are  simple.  The  body  of  the 
Yezidi,  like  that  of  a  Mohammedan,  is  washed  in 
running  water.  After  being  laid  on  a  flat  board,  they 
dress  him  with  his  former  clothes,  close  the  openings 
in  his  body  with  pieces  of  cotton,  place  the  sacred 
clay  of  §eih  *Adi  in  his  mouth,  on  his  face  and  fore- 
head,   under    his    shoulders    and   eyes,    and    on    his 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      193 

stomach.  This  done,  they  carry  the  dead  on  the  board 
to  the  cemetery.  The  kawwals,  burning  incense,  lead 
the  procession;  the  immediate  relatives,  especially  the 
women,  following,  dressed  in  white  and  throwing 
dust  over  their  heads,  and  accompanied  by  male  and 
female  friends  and  neighbors.  If  the  dead  be  a  man, 
they  then  dance,  the  mother  or  the  wife  holding  in 
one  hand  the  sword  or  shield  of  the  dead,  and  in  the 
other,  long  locks  cut  from  her  own  hair.  They  bury 
him  with  his  face  turned  toward  the  north  star. 
Everyone  present  throws  a  little  dust  over  the  grave 
while  saying,  "O  man,  thou  wert  dust  and  hast 
returned  to  dust  to-day."  Then  the  seih  says,  "When 
we  say,  'Let  us  rise  and  go  home,'  then  the  dead  man 
will  say,  T  will  not  go  home  with  the  people.'  And 
when  he  tries  to  get  up,  his  head  will  strike  the  stone, 
when  he  will  say,  *0,  I  am  among  the  dead.' "  When 
they  return  home,  the  family  slaughters  oxen  and 
sheep  and  gives  meat  to  the  poor.  The  poor  kill  four 
or  five  sheep ;  the  rich,  a  hundred.  The  kochaks 
prophesy  of  the  dead,  whether  he  will  return  to  the 
earth  or  will  go  to  another  world. 

They  hold  that  some  will  be  eternally  condemned, 
but  that  all  will  spend  an  expiatory  period;  and  that 
the  dead  have  communion  with  the  living,  in  which 
the  good  souls  dwelling  in  the  heavens  m.ake  revela- 
tions to  their  brethren  on  earth. 


194  DEVIL  WORSHIP 


III 


Nationality 


Four  different  theories  have  been  advanced  as  to 
the  race  to  which  the  Yezidis  belong.  There  are  those 
who  think  them  to  be  of  Indo-European  origin,  for 
there  is  a  type  among  them  that  has  a  white  skin,  a 
round  skull,  blue  eyes  and  light  hair.  And  there  are 
those  who  suppose  them  to  be  Arabs  on  the  ground 
that  the  color  of  skin  of  another  type  is  brown,  their 
eyes  are  wide,  their  lips  are  thick  and  their  hair  is 
dark.  The  western  writers,  moreover,  have  in  the 
past  always  taken  them  for  Kurds  because  of  the 
close  resemblance  of  the  two  in  appearance  and  man- 
ners. In  his  "La  Turquie  d'Asie,"  Vitol  Cunet  says 
that  though  the  Yezidis  have  been  taken  for  Kurds, 
they  can  no  longer  be  regarded  as  such,  for  in  many 
ways  they  resemble  other  nationalities.  On  the  other 
hand  Hormuzd  Rassam,  in  his  "Asshur  and  the  Land 
of  Nimrud"  seems  to  agree  with  those  who  suppose 
them  to  be  of  Assyrian  origin.  He  bases  this  infer- 
ence on  the  independent  and  martial  spirit  which  they 
possess,  and  their  tendency  to  rebel  against  their 
oppressors,  which,  according  to  him,  may  be  taken 
as  an  indication  of  ancestral  inheritance.^ 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ      195 

IV 

Locality 

The  Yezidis  dwell  principally  in  five  districts,  the 
most  prominent  among  these  being  that  of  Seihan. 
This  term  is  the  Persian  plural  of  seih,  an  old  man; 
and  it  signifies  the  country  where  seihs  dwell.  This 
district  lies  northeast  of  Mosul,  covering  a  wide  area 
in  which  are  many  villages.  It  is  their  Palestine.  In 
it  lies  their  Mecca,  Lalish,  where  their  sacred  shrine, 
the  tomb  of  Seih  *Adi,  is.  Lalish  is  the  centre  of  their 
national  and  religious  life.  It  is  situated  in  a  deep, 
picturesque  valley.  Its  slopes  are  covered  with  a 
dense  wood,  and  at  the  bottom  of  it  runs  the  sacred 
water.  Other  notable  places  here  are  the  two  adjoin- 
ing villages,  Ba'asika  and  Bahazanie,  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain  of  Rabban  Hormuzd,  a  six  hours'  ride 
from  Mosul.  The  former  is  the  center  of  the  tombs 
of  their  seihs ;  the  latter  is  their  principal  burial  place, 
to  which  bodies  are  carried  from  all  the  various  dis- 
tricts. It  was  formerly  a  Christian  village  with  a 
monastery.  And  Ba'adrie,  northeast  of  the  City  of 
Mosul,  about  ten  hours'  ride  away,  is  the  village  where 
their  amir  resides.    It  is  close  to  Seih  'Adi's. 

Next  in  importance  is  Jabal  Sinjar.  The  term 
"Sinjar"  is  Persian,  meaning  a  bird,  perhaps  an  eagle. 
It  signifies  that  its  inhabitants  are,  like  the  eagle,  safe 
and  cannot  be  caught.^  Sinjar  is  about  three  days* 
journey  from  Mosul.     It  is  a  solitary  range,  fifty 


196  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

miles  long  and  nine  miles  broad,  rising  in  the  midst  of 
the  desert.  From  its  summit,  the  eye  ranges  on  one 
side  over  the  vast  level  wilderness  stretching  to  the 
Euphrates,  and  on  the  other  over  the  plain  bounded 
by  the  Tigris  and  the  lofty  mountains  of  Kurdistan. 
Nisibin  and  Mardin  are  both  visible  in  the  distance. 
One  can  see  the  hills  of  Ba'adrie  and  §eih  *Adi. 
Among  the  sacred  places  of  this  district  are  two 
villages:  Assofa,  where  two  ziarahs  are  found,  and 
distinguished  from  afar  by  their  white  spires,  and 
Aldina,  where  one  ziarah  exists.  In  almost  every 
Sinjar  village,  there  is  to  be  found  a  covered  water 
which  they  use  as  a  fortress  during  their  fights  with 
the  Kurds  or  with  the  Turkish  army.  The  devil- 
worshippers  of  this  locality  are  commonly  called 
Yezidis,  while  those  of  Seihan  are  known  both  as 
Yezidis  and  Dawaseni. 

Another  district  is  Halitiyeh,  which  includes  all  the 
territory  north  and  northeast  of  the  Tigris  in  the 
province  of  Diarbeker.  The  Malliyeh  region  includes 
all  the  territory  west  of  the  Euphrates  and  Aleppo. 
And  the  Sarahdar  section  includes  the  Caucasus  in 
southern  Russia.  Some  regard  the  Lepchos  of  India 
also  as  Yezidis,  who,  in  the  early  appearance  of  the 
sect,  went  there  to  proselyte  the  Hindoos.^ 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     197 

V 

Dwellings 

In  regard  to  their  dwellings,  the  Yezidis  are  divided 
into   two    classes :   Ahl   al-hadar,   the   people   of    the 
villages  or   cultivated   land,  and  Ahl  al   Wabar,   the 
people  of  the  tents.     The  villages  are  built  of  clay, 
stone  or  mud,  and  unburned  brick.    A  village  consists 
of  about  sixty  houses.     A  house  is  divided  Into  three 
principal  rooms,  opening  one  into  another.    These  are 
separated  by  a  wall  about  six  feet  high,  upon  which 
are  placed  wooden  pillars  supporting  the  ceiling.    The 
roof  rests  on  trunks  of  trees  raised  on  rude  stones  in 
the  centre  chamber,  which  is  open  on  one  side  to  the 
air.     The  sides  of  the  room  are  honeycombed  with 
small  recesses  like  pigeon-holes.     The  whole  is  plas- 
tered with  white  plaster,  fancy  designs  in  red  being 
introduced  here  and  there.    The  houses  are  kept  neat 
and   clean.      They    say    that    cleanliness    is    next   to 
heaven. 

Now,  the  people  of  the  tents  are,  like  the  Arab 
Bedouins,  nomadic,  having  no  houses  and  no  perma- 
nent place  of  abode.  They  form  but  a  small  portion 
of  the  Yezidis,  and  are  called  Kotchar. 


198  DEVIL  WORSHIP 


VI 

The  Language 

The  language  of  the  Yezidis,  in  common  with  the 
Kurds,  is  Kurdish,  which  belongs  to  the  Iranian 
group  of  the  Indo-European  or  Indo-Germanic  stock. 
This  Kurmanji  possesses  a  number  of  dialects  not 
differing  much  from  one  another,  except  the  zaza 
dialect,  which  is  spoken  in  eastern  Mesopotamia  by 
the  Kurds,  called  Ali  Alia.  The  main  characteristic 
of  the  Kurmangi  are  the  great  brevity  of  its  words 
and  the  simplicity  of  its  grammatical  forms.  It  is 
fairly  rich  in  vowels,  and  richer  in  deep  gutteral 
sounds.  Though  Kurdish  is  the  general  language  of 
the  Yezidis,  their  religious  mysteries  are  in  Arabic. 
Both  languages  are  spoken  by  those  living  in  the 
Sin  jar  hills  and  in  Seihan. 

VII 

Occupation 

Generally  speaking,  the  Yezidis  are  an  industrious 
people,  but  they  do  not  engage  in  business.  This  is 
due  to  their  belief  that  any  form  of  business  leads  to 
cheating  and  lying,  and  hence  to  cursing  Melek-Ta'us, 
i.  e.,  the  devil.  Their  usual  occupation  is  agriculture 
and  cattle-raising.  The  Yezidis  of  Sinjar,  who  con- 
stitute almost  the  entire  population,  raise  fruit,  such 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     199 

as  figs  and  grapes;  also  almonds  and  nuts.  Jabal 
Sinjar  is  famous  for  its  figs.  Those  who  live  in  the 
Russian  territory,  like  the  sweeper  class  of  India,  are 
mainly  engaged  in  menial  work.  But  those  in  the 
districts  of  Redwan  and  Midyat  are  given  to  house- 
breaking and  highway  robbery ;  they  are  the  terror  of 
those  regions. 

The  Yezidis  seldom  appear  in  the  cities;  and  when 
they  do  they  conceal  their  peculiarities  as  much  as 
possible,  for  the  Christians  and  Mohammedans  are 
wont  to  seek  amusement  at  their  expense.  When 
they  find  a  Yezidi  in  their  company,  they  draw  a 
circle  about  him  on  the  ground,  from  which  he  super- 
stitiously  believes  he  cannot  get  out,  until  some  one 
breaks  it.  They  annoy  him  by  crying  out,  Na'lat 
Saitan,  i.  e.,  Satan  be  cursed.  Moreover,  city  people 
keep  aloof  from  the  habitations  of  these  despised 
devil-worshippers.  Accordingly  the  Yezidis  have 
little  intercourse  with  their  neighbors. 


NOTES  ON  CHAPTER  V 

^In  his  letter  to  me,  of  date  August  6,  1907,  the 
Rev.  A.  N.  Andrus,  of  Mardin,  expresses  the  opinion 
that  "many  of  the  Yezidis  around  Sinjar  might  have 
come  from  Indian  stock"  on  the  ground  that  "they 
are  darker  and  more  hthe  than  the  Kurds  around 
them." 

2  P.  Anastase:  Al-Masnk,  vol.  II,  p.  831. 

3  Cf.  Al-Masrik,  vol.  II,  p.  734. 


800 


CHAPTER  VI 

List  of  the  Yezidi  Tribes 

(The    materials    were    collected    for    me   by    A.    N. 

Andrus,  of  Mardin) 

The  Tribes  Across  the  River  From  Mosul 

1  The  tribe  named  Seihan  lives  in  the  mountains 
of  Al-K6s,  and  has  sixteen  villages.  They  are  all 
under  the  orders  of  Seih  'Ali  Beg  Pasa,  the  Amir,  or 
chief  of  the  Yezidis.  This  tribe  can  furnish  i,6oo 
guns  for  war.  Said  'Ali  Pasa  has  received  from  the 
Turkish  government  the  order  of  Amir  ul-Umara 
"the  Amir  of  Amirs."  He  has  a  brother  who  has 
received  the  order  of  Miry  Miran,  "the  Amirs  of 
Amirs."  He  has  a  second  brother  who  has  received 
the  order  of  Romeli  Beglar  Begi,  "the  Beg  of  Begs." 
These  three  are  all  sons  of  the  former  Amir  Husein 

Beg. 

2  The  Denodi  tribe  lives  in  Dakoke  district.  It 
occupies  fifteen  villages,  and  can  bring  800  guns  to 

war. 

3  The  Howari  tribe  lives  in  the  region  of  Zaho. 
This  tribe  is  nomadic,  lives  in  tents,  and  can  furnish 
200  guns  for  war.  It  has  two  chiefs,  Bedri  Sohr  and 
Dar  Bazi  Husein.    They  are  all  shepherds. 


201 


202 


DEVIL  WORSHIP 


The  Tribes  at  Sinjar  and  Jezireh  Districts 


Tribes. 

Tents. 

Villages. 

Guns. 

Population. 

District 

Aldaghi 

I 

TOO 

500 

Sinjar 

Bekura 

I 

100 

500 

Chalka 

I 

100 

500 

Dalka 

I 

100 

500 

Fakir 

I 

100 

500 

Gabara 

2 

150 

650 

Haska 

I 

200 

1,000 

Hubaba 

6 

900 

4,500 

Jabri 

I 

50 

250 

Jovana 

6 

500 

2,000 

Kiran 

2 

600 

3,000 

Menduka 

2 

300 

1,500 

Mihrka 

2 

200 

1,000 

Sumoka 

6 

1,200 

6,000 

Uleki 

I 
34 

70 

4,570 

350 

Amoad 

400 

•   •   • 

400 

2,000 

Alkos 

Dunadi 

•    •    • 

15 

800 

4,800 

Duhok 

Havveri 

100 

•   •   • 

100 

500 

Zaho 

Shekan 

•     •     « 

16 

1,200 

7,200 

Alkos 

Rashukan 

150 

«   •   • 

150 

750 

Jezireh 

Samukie 

•      •      • 

6 

500 

2,500 

Midyat 

Sohranie 

•     *     • 

15 

300 

1,500 

Grand  total  650 

86 

8,020 

42,000 

SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     203 

The  Tribes  of  Midyat  Region,  Usually  Called 
Jabal  Tor  Al-'Abedin  (Mountain  of  the 

Worshipers) 

This  region  lies  one  day's  journey  east  of  Mardin. 
There  are  three  tribes  here. 

1  The  tribe  of  Semmike.  This  tribe  inhabits  six 
villages  and  can  produce,  when  needed,  500  guns. 

2  The  tribe  called  Sohrani.  There  are  fifteen 
small  villages  to  this  tribe  with  300  guns.  These  all 
have  houses  built  of  stone,  and  till  the  ground. 

3  The  tribe  called  Mamila.  This  tribe  has  seven 
villages : 

Mazazah,  Bajinne,  Kochano,  Keunos,  Taka, 
Harobia,  and  Namirdani. 

Mr.  Andrus  writes  me  that  he  has  learned  of  this 
tribe  from  Kas  Samuel,  a  Jacobite  Syrian  priest  of 
Mazazeh  near  Midyat. 

The  tribe  of  Besreyeh,  northwest  of  Jabal  Al-Tor. 

There  was  only  one  tribe  in  this  district;  it  was 
called  Haltah.    This  tribe  had  five  villages: 

Redwan,  Dooshah,  Selahar,  Bimbarik,  and  Soolan. 

On  account  of  the  oppression  of  the  government  on 
the  one  hand,  and  of  the  Kurdish  tribes  around  them 
on  the  other,  this  tribe  has  moved  to  the  Sinjar 
Mountains. 

The  tribes  around  Weran  Sahr  or  Goran  Sahr,  "the 
destroyed  or  the  sunken  city,"  because  it  was  de- 
stroyed by  earthquake  or  in  war.  This  district  lies 
southwest  of  Mardin. 


204  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

1  The  Denodi  tribe.  This  is  probably  an  offshoot 
of  the  Dahoke  tribe  of  the  same  name.  It  occupies 
three  villages,  and  has  Hasan  Kanjo  for  the  chief. 
He  is  now  the  right  arm  of  Ibrahim  Pasa  of  the 
Hamideyeh  army.  The  three  villages  are  Salmi, 
Payamlo  and  Desi. 

2  The  tribe  called  Serkian.  This  tribe  has  seven 
subdivisions : 

a.  Turnah  lives  in  one  village  called  Laulanji. 

b.  Kupan  occupies  four  villages:  (i)  Ahmazut. 
(2)   Nukti.     (3)   Al-Asehan.     (4)   Shda  Ausman. 

c.  Beleki  has  six  villages:  (i)  Sahda  Nasu.  (2) 
Mouzan  Seih  Bersef.  (3)  Mouzan  Auso.  (4)  Menk- 
suri  Minet.     (5)  Al-Kaureyee.     (6)  Menmenik. 

d.  Adi  has  three  villages:  (i)  Tal  Tarik. 
(2)  Karmi  Apo  *Alo  Reso.  (3)  Karmi  Sim,  u,  Kor 
Kahiah.  Sim  means  hoof;  u,  and;  kor,  blind;  kahiah, 
head  man. 

e.  Mardanah  occupies  two  villages:  (i)  Hajj  Zain. 
(2)  Kara  Kuzeye. 

f.  Malla  Kachar  has  one  village:  Malla  Kachar 
means  the  Malla  flees. 

g.  Maskan  occupies  two  villages:    Birj  Baluji, 
h.     Suhan  has  one  village,  Kafar  Bali, 


CHAPTER  VII 

Persecution 

The  history  of  the  Yezidis,  like  that  of  the  Jews, 
has  been  one  of  persecution.  The  causes  of  their 
misfortune  have  been  (i)  the  fact  that  they  are  not 
regarded  as  the  people  of  the  Book;  and  with  such 
the  Mohammedans  have  no  treaty,  no  binding  oath, 
as  they  do  with  the  other  non- Mohammedan  bodies. 
For  this  reason  they  have  to  make  choice  between 
conversion  and  the  sword,  and  it  is  unlawful  even  to 
take  taxes  from  them.  Consequently  they  must 
accept  the  faith  or  be  killed.  (2)  Their  ceremonies 
have  given  rise  among  their  neighbors  to  fables  con- 
founding their  practices  with  those  of  the  Nusairi  of 
Syria  and  ascribing  to  them  certain  midnight  orgies, 
which  obtained  for  them  the  name  of  cherag 
sanderafi,  i.  e.,  the  extinguishers  of  light.  (3)  Their 
determined  refusal  to  enter  the  military  service.  The 
Yezidis  with  the  Christians  have  been  exempt  from 
the  military  service  on  the  general  law  sanctioned  by 
the  Koran;  namely,  that  none  but  true  beHevers  can 
serve  in  the  armies  of  the  state.  But  from  time  to 
time  the  Turkish  government  has  endeavored  to  raise 
recruits  for  the  regular  troops  among  the  Yezidis  on 
the  ground  that,  being  of  no  recognized  infidel  sect, 

205 


2o6  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

they  must  be  included  like  the  Druses  of  Mount 
Lebanon  among  Mohammedans.  But  they  have  re- 
sisted the  orders,  alleging  that  their  religious  law 
absolutely  forbids  them  to  take  the  oath  to  which  the 
Turkish  soldiers  are  weekly  subjected,  to  wear  the 
blue  color  and  certain  portions  of  the  uniform,  and  to 
eat  several  articles  of  food  that  are  offered  to  the 
troops.  Hence  they  have  suffered  severely  at  the 
hands  of  the  local  authorities. 

One  of  the  most  cruel  persecutions  which  the 
Yezidis  have  suffered  was  that  brought  upon  them  in 
the  Seihan  district  by  the  famous  Beg  Rawmanduz  in 
1832,  who  had  united  most  of  the  Kurdish  tribes  of 
the  surrounding  mountains  under  his  command.  His 
cry  was  to  crush  the  hateful  sect  of  the  devil- 
worshipers.  The  forces  of  *Ali  Beg,  the  then  amir 
of  the  Yezidis,  were  much  inferior  in  number  to  those 
of  the  Khurdish  Beg.  The  latter  (Ali  Beg)  was  de- 
feated, therefore,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  enemy, 
who  put  him  to  death.  The  people  of  Seihan  fled  to 
Mosul.  It  was  in  the  spring  and  the  river  had  over- 
flowed and  carried  the  bridge  away.  A  few  succeeded 
in  crossing,  but  the  greater  multitude  of  men,  women 
and  children  were  left  on  the  opposite  side  and 
crowded  on  tal  'Armus.  The  hostile  Beg  followed 
and  butchered  them  indiscriminately,  showing  no 
mercy,  while  the  people  of  Mosul  were  witnessing  the 
horrible  massacre  from  the  other  side  of  the  stream 
and  hearing  the  cry  of  the  unfortunate  for  their  help, 
unwilling  to  render  any  assistance.    For  the  Christians 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     207 

were  helpless  and  Mohammedans  rejoiced  to  see  the 
devil-worshippers  exterminated.  From  this  cruel 
action  of  the  Beg  of  Rawanduz,  the  mounds  of 
Nineveh  gained  the  name  **Kuyunjik/*  i,  e.,  "the 
slaughter  of  the  sheep." 

Soon  after  this  Suleiman  Pasa  of  Bagdad  sent  a 
large  army  to  Sinjar  under  the  command  of  Lutfee 
Effendi,  who  set  fire  to  the  Jabal  Sinjar  and  caused 
all  the  inhabitants  to  flee.  Then  Hafiz  Pasa  of 
Diarbeker  attempted  the  subjugation  of  the  Yezidis 
of  Sinjar,  on  the  ground  that  they  were  plunderers. 
After  meeting  some  resistance,  he  accomplished  his 
purpose  in  1837,  and  appointed  a  Moslem  to  watch 
over  them.  At  another  time  Mohammed  Rasid  Pasha 
of  Mosul  attacked  Sinjar.  On  both  occasions  there 
was  a  massacre.  The  Yezidis  took  refuge  in  caves, 
where  they  were  either  suffocated  by  smoke  or  killed 
by  the  discharge  of  cannon.  And  thus  the  population 
was  reduced  by  three- fourths.  These  and  other 
similar  injustices  at  the  hands  of  the  Pasas  of 
Bagdad  and  Mosul  and  the  Kurdish  chiefs  led  the 
Yezidis  from  time  to  time  to  send  a  deputation  to  lay 
their  grievances  before  the  agents  of  the  European 
powers,  and  they  have  even  sent  commissioners  to  the 
Sultan.  They  finally  succeeded  in  enlisting  the  interest 
of  Lord  Stratford  in  1847  to  obtain  at  Constantinople 
a  proper  recognition  of  their  religion  and  exemption 
from  military  service. 

But  the  severest  of  all  persecutions,  to  which  I  was 
an  eye-witness,  was  perhaps  the  one  which  the  Yezidis 


2o8  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

of  both  Seihan  and  Sin  jar  suffered  in  1892  at  the 
hands  of  Farik  'Omar  Pasa,  Lieutenant-General  of 
the  Turkish  Army.  This  Farik  was  sent  in  the 
summer  of  1892  as  a  special  commissioner  by  the 
Sultan  to  accomplish  certain  definite  things  in  the 
states  of  Mosul  and  Bagdad:  to  collect  twenty  years' 
unpaid  taxes;  to  induce  the  Bedouins  to  exchange 
their  nomadic  life  for  village  life;  to  convert  the 
Yezidis  of  Seihan  and  Jabal  Sinjar  from  their  idolatry 
to  the  true  faith.  He  was  a  harsh  man  in  his  manners 
and  methods.  He  first  invited  some  of  their  chiefs  to 
Mosul.  They  came  and  listened  to  what  the  new 
Pasa  had  to  say.  They  met  him  when  Mi j lis  al- 
Edarah,  council  of  the  state,  composed  of  'Olama  and 
a  few  Christians,  was  in  session.  In  the  presence  of 
these  noblemen  he  began  to  tell  them  that  if  they  would 
give  up  their  devil-worship,  they  would  be  rewarded 
with  high  place  and  rank,  and  would  please  the  great 
Allah.  But  they  answered  not.  When  the  Farik  saw 
that  his  words  failed  to  persuade  them,  he  began  to 
apply  the  weapon  of  cruelty.  He  cast  them  into 
prison;  some  died;  others  fled;  and  a  few,  through 
the  fear  of  torture  and  painful  death,  pronounced 
al-sehadah^  with  their  lips  but  not  from  their  hearts. 
Then  he  sent  an  army  to  their  villages,  and  com- 
manded them  to  choose  between  Islam  and  the  sword. 
'Omar  Beg,  his  son,  who  was  commanding  the  sol- 
diers, directed  them  to  slaughter  the  men,  and  take 
captives  the  pretty  women  and  girls  and  marry  them. 
He   slew   about   five  hundred  men.     Many  became 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     209 

Moslems  from  fear,  among  these  Merza  Beg,  their 
civil  chief. 

Then  he  placed  mullas  among  them  to  teach  the 
children  the  Muslim  faith,  and  ordered  the  newly  con- 
verted Yezidis  to  pray  five  times  every  day  and  to 
perform  all  the  religious  rites.  To  make  them  con- 
tinue to  be  Mohammedans,  he  tore  down  their  shrines, 
especially  those  at  Bahzanie  and  Baasika.  Such  events 
encouraged  the  Kurds  to  come  down  and  add  greater 
cruelty  to  what  was  already  done. 

But  amir  *Ali  Beg,  their  chief  in  civil  and  religious 
affairs,  after  long  imprisonment  and  torture,  did  not 
change  his  religious  belief.  That  he  might  not  be  an 
example  of  firmness  to  the  Yezidis,  the  Farlk  ban- 
ished him  with  soldiers  to  Katamuni,  a  place  near 
Constantinople. 

As  a  consequence  of  these  persecutions,  the  number 
of  the  Yezidis  has  been  considerably  decreased.  In 
the  fifteenth  century  there  were  250,000.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century  there  were  200,000. 
Thy  are  still  declining  and  remaining  under  the 
clouds  of  misconception,  and  are  consequently 
objects  of  aversion  and  hatred.  But  they  console 
themselves  with  the  idea  that  they  suffer  in  the  cause 
of  their  religious  convictions. 


NOTES  ON  CHAPTER  VII 

*  Cherog  sonderan  is  Turkish ;  sonderan  is  the 
participle  of  the  infinitive  of  to  put  out,  and  cherag, 
literally  lamp,  is  the  object  of  sonderan.  In  Turkish 
the  object  precedes  the  verb;  cf.  Yani  sarfi  Otamani 
"the  New  Turkish  Grammar"  (in  the  Turkish  lan- 
guage, ed.  Ahmad  Jaudat  &  Co.,  Constantinople, 
1318  A.  H.),  p.  77- 

^  Kalimatu,  s-§ehadah  is  as  follows :  *T  testify  that 
there  is  no  deity  but  God  and  that  Mohammed  is 
apostle  of  God." 


210 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Arabic 

A  manuscript  containing  the  Sacred  Book  of  the 
Yezidis  and  their  tranditions. 

Two  other  manuscripts  containing  the  history  of 

the  Yezidis. 

As-§ahrastani :    Kitab    Al-Milal    wa,    n-Nihal    (ed. 
Wm.  Eureton,  London,  MDCCCXLIII,  vol.  i,  p.  lOi 

seq). 

Yasin  Al-Hatib  Al  'Omari  Al-Mausili:  Al  Der  al 
Maknun  fi-1-Miater  Al-Madiyat  min  Al-Kerun,  "§eih 

*Adi." 

Mohammed     Al-*Omari     Al-MausiH :      Manhal-al- 

Uliya  wa  Masrab  ul  Asfiya,  "§eih  *Adi." 

Ibn  HaUikan:  Wafaiyat-el-'Aiyan  (Cairo  a.  h. 
1310,  A.  D.  1894),  vol.  I,  p.  316. 

Fihrist:  ed  Fliigel:  The  Religion  of  Hauran,  p. 
190  seq. 

Yakout:  Lalis.     Vol.  IV,  p.  373- 

Abu-1-Kasim  Ibn  Haukal :  Kitab  Al-Masalik  Wal- 
Mamalik*(ed.  M.  J.  De  Goeje,  1873,  Lyden)  Hakkari, 

p.  144. 

Anistase:  Al-Masrik,  vol.  II. 

Tabari  on  Sabeans:  The  Sixth  Session  of  the 
Oriental  Congress.     Leide,  1883,  pp.  300-340. 

213 


214  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

Syriac 

A  manuscript  containing  an  abstract  about  the 
History  of  the  Yezidis. 

Kurdish 
Yezidis  Songs  and  Prayers,  in  manuscript. 

Turkish 

Vital  Cunet:  Translation  of  La  Turquie  d'Asie, 
Constantinople. 

Turkish  Reader  (Constantinople,  a.  h.  1318),  Sec- 
ond Part,  p.  20  seq. 

English 

G.  P.  Badger:  The  Nestorians  and  Their  Rituals, 
vol.  I. 

Layard :  Nineveh  and  Its  Remains,   vol.  II. 

Layard  :  Nineveh  and  Babylon. 

Ainsworth :  Travels  and  Researches  in  Asia  Minor. 

H.  Southgate:  A  Tour  Through  Armenia,  Persia, 
and  Mesopotamia,  vol.  11. 

J.  B.  Eraser:  Mesopotamia  and  Persia. 

G.  J.  Rich:    Residence  in  Kurdistan,  vol.  II,  1836. 

Fletcher :  Notes  From  Nineveh,  1850. 

F.  Parrot:   Journey  to  Ararat. 

J.  S.  Buckingham:  Travels  in  Assyria,  Media,  and 
Persia- 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     215 

F.  Millingen:    Wild  Life  Among  the  Kurds,  1870. 

Hormuzd  Rassam :  Asshur  and  the  Land  of  Nimrod. 

O.  F.  Pary :  Six  Months  in  a  Syrian  Monastery. 

F.  D.  Green :    The  Armenian  Crisis  in  Turkey. 

A.  V.  Williams  Jackson :  Persia,  Past  and  Present. 

A.  V.  Williams  Jackson :  J.  A.  O.  S.,  25,  178  seq. 

A.  V.  Williams  Jackson :  The  Article,  "Yezidis/*  in 
New  Inter.  Enc,  vol.  17,  p.  939. 

Victor  Dingelstedt :  Scottish  Geog.  Mag.,  vol.  14, 
p.  295. 

Ainsworth :  Transactions  of  the  Ethnographical 
Society,  vol.  i,  1861. 

Forbes:  J.  R.  G.  Sc,  vol.  LX,  p.  409;  Account  of 
Yezidis  of  Jahal  Sinjar. 

Tylor:   Journal  of  Geographical  Society,  1868. 

Hextheusen:  Transcaucasia:  Account  of  Yezidis  in 
Russia. 

Ainsworth :  Travels  and  Researches  in  Asia  Minor, 
Ch.  XXXI. 

Transactions  of  the  Syro-Egyptian  Society,  1855, 
the  article,  "Yezidis." 

A.  N.  Andrus:    Missionary  Ency,  Art.  "Yezidis." 

The  Independent,  January  17,   1895. 

R.  Gottheil :  Mandeans  in  J.  U.  Cycl. 

R.  Gottheil :  Sabeans  in  J.  U.  Cycl. 

K.  Kessler:  Mandeans,  Enc.  Brit. 

E.  H.  Bunbury:  Sabeans,  Enc.  Brit. 

T.  H.  Hughes:  Muslin  Sect,  in  Diet,  of  Islam. 


2i6  DEVIL  WORSHIP 

French 

J.  Menant:   Les  Yezidis. 

Niebuhr:    Voyage  en  Arable,  1776. 

Olivier:  Voyage  dans  V Empire  Othoman,  T.  2,  p. 

342. 

Ernest  Chantre :  Le  Tour  du  Monde,  de  Beyrouth  a 

Tiflis,  p.  184. 

Nuchel  Febore:   Theatre  de  la  Turque,  Paris,  1682. 

Vital  Cunet:   La  Turquie  d'Asie,  p.  yy2. 

Eugene  Bore :  Diet,  des  Religions,  T.  IV,  Yezidis. 

Eugene  Bore :  Correspondence  d' Orient,  T.  I,  p. 
401 ;  T.  II,  pp.  188,  2^2. 

Siouffi:  Journal  Asiatique,  1885,  p.  78,  and  1882, 
p.  252. 

J.  B.  Chabot :    Journal  Asiatique,  1896,  p.  100. 

M.  Tcheraz:   Le  Museon,  T.  LX  No.  2,  p.  194. 

M.  Garzoni:  Sylvestre  de  Sacy,  1809,  pp.  105,  191. 

E.  Reclus:  Nouvelle  Geographie,  T.  LX,  p.  432. 

Spiro :    Bulletin   Soc.   Neuchatel  Geog.,  Tome   12, 

P-  275. 

Annales  des  Rois  d'Assyria,  sail  II,  No.  39. 

Receu  du  Monde  Musulman,  August,  1908. 

German 

Schwolsohn:   Dies  Sahien,  vol.  II,  p.  201. 
Hugo  Makas :   Kurdische  Studien,  p.  35. 
M.  Lidzbarski:  Z.  D.  M.  G.,  vol.  51,  p.  592. 
C.  Brockelmann :  Z.  D.  M.  G.,  vol.  55,  p.  388. 


SACRED  BOOKS  OF  THE  YEZIDIZ     217 

C.  Brockelmann :  Z.  A.,  vol.  16,  p.  399. 
Archie  fur  Anthropologic,  vol.  2^^  p.  3. 
Das  Ausland,  50  Jahrgang,  No.  39  und  40  Stutgart, 
1886,  p.  790. 

Latin 

Assemani:  Bibliotheca  Orientalis,  Clementino-Vati- 
can,  vol.  Ill,  p.  493. 

T.  Hyde:  Historia  Religionis  vetrum  Persarum, 
1760. 


INDEX 


A.badiya,  i8,  20,  120,  121. 
Ablution,   163. 
Adam  and  Eve,  12,  17,  38, 
39,  41,  42,  53,  54,  68, 

70,  90.  93»  108.  151. 
Adawiah,  iii,  116. 

'Adi,  12,  14,  16,  21,  22,  29, 
38,  45,  48,  54,  55,  56, 
57,  59,  63,  64,  66,  67, 
68,  71,  77,  79,  80,  90; 
temple  of,  95,  98,  iii, 
112,  ff.;  136,  158,  ff.; 
160; 

tomb  of,  112,  113,  115, 
116,  119,  160,  flF. ; 
worship  of,  160-163 ; 
feast  of,  163-166. 

*Ain  Sifni,  41. 

Al  Jilwah,  II,  12,  14,  17, 

^^,  30,  36,  37,  68. 
Al-Lat,  135. 
Al-*Ozza,  \z^. 
Andrus,  A.  N.,  14,  17,  22, 

105,  139,  167,  200-201. 
Angels,   37,   92,  93,    123, 

124,  125,  128,  130,  133, 

150,  152,  154,  169. 
Apostle,    120,    122,    123, 

127,  128. 


Arafat,  57. 
Ash-Shahrastani,    19,   24, 

119,  ff.;  123. 
As-Saig,  II,  17. 
Assemani,  98. 
Assyrians,  40,  45,  92,  170. 
B'aadri,  29,  100. 
Ba'ashika,     56,    63,     100, 

-  174. 
Badger  G.  P.,  158,  ff.,  170. 

Bahazani,  45. 

Baptism,  69,  100,  ff . ;  161, 

178  ff. 

Basra,  94,  171. 

Bath,  80. 

Birds,    worship  of,     134, 

147,  15c,  ff. 
Candles,  156. 
Ceremonies,  137,  164  ff. 
Cholsohn,  169. 
Christ,  53,  61. 
Circumcision,  178  ff. 
Comb,  161. 
Cosmogany,  133. 
Creation,  36,  41,  68. 
Dancing,  165,  179,  188. 
Daseni,  99,  lOi. 

Devil,  108,  113,  116,  117, 

148,  155- 


219 


220 


INDEX 


Devil  worship,    io8,    113, 
116,  150,  151,  152,  153- 

158. 
Devil    Worshippers,     see 

Yezidis. 
Dewish,  116. 
Dowry,  48,  186,  ff. 
Emir,  75,  156,  165,  183. 
Eucharist,  178,  179-180. 
Evil,   107,   154,   159,   163, 

175- 
Fahkr-ad  Din,  12,  22,  37, 

40,  58. 
Fakir,  y(d,  164  ff. ;  183. 
Family,   189  ff. 
Fastine.    58,   66,    69,    79, 

180  ff. 
Feasts,  57,  135,  148,  149, 

150,    163-165,    festivals 

173  ff- 
Funeral,  192  ff. 

Hatchet,  161. 

Heaven,  60. 

Hell,  54,  62. 

Hierarchy,  182  ff. 

Ibn  Hazm,  19. 

Ibn  Khallikan,  107,  iii, 
115,  116,  129. 

Ibn  Unaisa,  Yezid,  17,  18, 
19,  20,  107,  119,  120, 
123,  127,  128-130. 

Idol,  47»  48,  53>  55.  loi, 

107,  125. 
Incense,  174,  193. 
Iranion,  108-110. 
Ishtar,  133,  149. 


Islam,  no,  116,  118,  122, 

128,  134. 
Jackson,  A.  V.,  25,  108  ff. 
Jesus,  19,  59,  60,  61,  loi, 

102,  164,  180. 
Kawwal,  45,  46,  48,  68, 

75,78,  156,  157,  164  ff., 

173- 
Khawarij,  121,  122,  128  ff. 

Kissing,  165. 

Kochak,  47,  48,  53-57,  63, 

75,  159,  165. 
Koran,    19,    120,   122-124, 

127. 
Kreamer,  20. 
Lalish,  29,  37,  38,  112. 
Lamps,  162-164,  174. 
Lettuce,  44,  64,  80. 
Lidzbarski,  22,  149,  160. 
Mary,  61. 

Marr'ae^e,  40,  48,  186  ff. 
Mashaf  Rcsh,  11,  12,  21, 

22,  36,  49,  92. 
Melek  Ta'us,   12,  21,  30, 

36,  37,  38,  40,  53,  58, 
60,  62,  64 ;  form  of,  43, 
44,  68,  jy,  78,  90,  92. 

Mohammed,  18,  42,  43, 
67,  71,  92,  loi,  106, 
120,  122,  123,  125,  128, 
130,  162. 

Moon,  59,  126,  133  ff. 

Mu'awiya,  18,  42,  43,  92, 
93,  104,  105,  106,  128, 
130. 

Mulla  Haidar,  11,  22,  78. 


INDEX 


221 


Musicians,  164,  175. 
New  Year,  46,  56,  174  ff. 
Noah,  flood  of,  40-42. 
Oath,  66. 
Oil,  164. 

Omari,  112,  113,  118. 
Orientalists,   103  ff.,   no. 
Peacock,  43,  44,  68,  150- 

153,   155,  157- 
Peter,  61. 

Pilgrimage,  55,  65,  112, 
114,  116,  119,  135  fif., 
163. 

Pir,  56,  58,  75.  78,  79, 
157,  183. 

Prayer,  165,  181. 

Priests,    164;    Isaac,    16, 
63,  64. 

Prophets,  53,  58,  59; 
from  Persia,  67,  95, 
120,   124  ff.;   130,   132, 

158. 
Sabians,  19,  69,  120,  122- 

128,  133. 
Sacrament,  100  ff.,  178. 
Sacrifice,  69. 
Sanjak,  44-47,  5i»i33»i55 

if. 
Scholars,     103     ff.,     106, 

no,  115,  129. 
Serpent,  42,  71,  92,   161, 

165,  168. 
Shammas  Eremia,  17,  22. 
Shaving,  80. 
Sheikh,  75,  78.  79,  164  ff., 

168  ff.,  183  ff. 


Sheikh    Mattie,    55,    85, 

Shirt,  79-80,  191  ff. 

Sinjar,  42,  45,  59,  94,  lOO. 

Siouffi,  M.  N.,  II,  14,  24. 

Springs,  56,  134,  136,  161. 

Stars,  123,  125-128,  130. 

Stone,  kissing  of,  47.  S^J 
worship  of,  I35-I37- 

Sun,  kiss  of,  53,  58 ;  wor- 
ship   of,    116,  126,  133 

ff.;  149.  170- 
Syriac,  100. 
Tahlil,  195. 
Tamerlane,  94. 
Tammuz,  147,  ff. 
Tans,  see  Melek  Ta'us. 
Tax,  82;  Torch,  164. 
Transmigration,     33,    67, 

69. 

Trees,  55,  56,  95.  ^35.  ff- 

Vow,  55,  56. 

Wine,  54. 

Woman,  190  ff. 

Yezid.  12,  17,  43,  44,  75. 
92,  93,  104,  105,  106, 
107,  113,  130,  147.  166. 

Yezidis,  11,  12;  number 
and  locality  of,  13-14. 
22,  195  ff. ;  manuscripts 
of,  14  ff. ;  origin  of,  17- 
20,  89,  90,  ff.,  103  ff., 
129  ff . ;  religion  of,  21, 
2Q,  38,  40,  43 ;  sign  of, 
58,  64;  myth  of,  89; 
nationahty  of,    194  if.; 


222  INDEX 

Yezidis,  continued  Yezidism,   103,    129,   131, 

tradition  of,  94;  dwel-  133,  134,  IS^*  I45»  ^-l 

lings  of,  197  ff.;  lang-  173. 

uage   of,   198;   occupa-  Zamzam,  56-57,  134,  161. 

tion  of,   198  f¥. ;  tribes  Zoroaster,  108,    109,    131, 

of,  201  ff,;  persecution  151,  155,  169. 
of,  205  ff. 


Theol09.c,i!  Sem,nar,-5peer  Ubrary 


IIIMII  I' 


1       1 


012  01004  7969 


